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COMMON CORE MISSION STATEMENT:

“The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.”

http://www.corestandards.org/

OUR VIEWS AND KNOWLEDGE:

Hi! My name is Jess Manchester and I am a senior at Salem State University. I am studying elementary education with a double major in psychology. Being an elementary education student, a term that seems to come up in conversations is “common core”. I also heard about common core at my previous job, Lakeshore Learning Store. For those of you who are in education or are parents of elementary students, you have probably have heard of this store before. For those of you who have not, it is a teaching store filled with teaching supplies and strategies as well as games and school supplies for elementary students. During my time working there, the new hot item was the “common core cards”. I looked more into them and asked questions to my managers about them. They are cards that contain all of the common core standards, both math and literacy, and are separated into grades K-5/6. From the knowledge of product from Lakeshore along with the knowledge from conversations with teachers, I have gathered that the common core are the standards of mathematics and literacy for each grade that only some states have adopted into their system. I have also heard some negative remarks regarding the common core. I have heard that they are difficult to follow and are too narrow in the process. This makes it difficult for teachers to create the units and lessons of study based on the limitations. I have also figured out that there is no science nor social studies in the common core. I know my views and information may be wrong and incomplete but I am writing in this blog to search and learn more about the new and hot topic that is shaking ground in the world of education.

Hi! My name is Jessica Dunn and I am a senior at Salem State University, who is a double major in Elementary Education and English. Throughout many of my education classes that I have taken in college I have been educated on the several different Department of Education federal mandates. In learning about these mandates, I have heard three famous words in nearly every class - “Common Core Standards”. These three words have influenced my academic training to become a teacher immensely! I cannot even begin to elaborate on how focused school districts are in regards to adopting these new sets of standards – it has created havoc amongst a frenzy of teachers who do not want to embrace these Common Core Standards. Having said that, I understand that many individuals are in opposition to this new set of standards and argue that public education should be controlled at a state level, not a federal level. This prompts one to furthermore question – with a multitude of states adopting the Common Core Standards, will this lead to more high-stakes standardized testing throughout the nation? For, I believe that the very last thing our classroom teachers need to worry about are even more high-stakes tests, which in all reality, do not accurately depict the knowledge of students. For, this is truly a controversial ‘hot topic’ that prompts many individuals to question – why does the government want every school district in the United States to learn the same set of standards? Where is there room for academic choice? Isn’t this a one-size-fits-all proposal of standards? Now it’s your turn to be the judge – do you agree with this educational approach?

Hello My name is Charlene Logue and I am a senior at Salem State University. I am currently in the elementary education program working towards my Bachelor of Science degree in Education and my double major is Geography. Last January, while I was substituting for the Lynn Public Schools, I was privy to some "behind closed doors" conversations of the hot topic of the Common Core Standards. The Common Core is being adopted by all states except Alaska, Nebraska, Texas, and Virginia. Massachusetts has adopted the mandate, and in Lynn and dozens of other cities, the response to it has been more pragmatic than ideological as teachers, some optimistic and others resigned, work to align their approach to the new standards. For example, they are adding more non-fiction texts to syllabi and adjusting the way fractions are taught to emphasize that they are actually numbers of varying sizes (not just pieces of pizza). Indeed, provided that most states like Massachusetts continue to plow forward with the Common Core, the deepest legacy of the standards will likely be felt more in educational than political realms. The Common Core does not mandate a given curriculum to schools; it lays out skills that students should learn at different grade levels. I think the biggest challenge for some teachers has been to see themselves as creators of their own curriculum. Many teachers have grown accustomed to following the textbook and a teacher's manual - at least part of the time. By contrast, the Common Core lays out general standards and educational principals, but it does not tell teachers how to teach. There are no teacher manuals - which is probably the real reason for the divide in the opinions of teachers across the board.

INFORMATION ON TOPIC:

In looking at the Department of Education Mandates and specifically focusing on the Common Core Standards, it is clear to see that these standards have been controlled through the Legislative branch at a national level that has morphed into the state level. Having said that, a multitude of states have already adopted the Common Core Standards, such as Massachusetts. However, there are several states that have not adopted these standards, which include: Texas, Alaska, Minnesota, Virginia, and Nebraska. All in all, it is clear to see that there is a strong influence from the government in regards to the implementing the Common Core Standards at national level.

Aspects of Common Core: What are some Pros and Cons of Common Core Standards? The full implementation of the Common Core Standards is getting closer each day. The true impact that they have on schools and education as a whole will not be known for several years. One thing that is for sure is this shift to a national set of standards will be revolutionary. They will also be highly debated. As the media begins to recognize the significance of the Common Core, you can bet the debate will heat up even more. As their implementation approaches, we examine some of the pros and cons of the Common Core Standards. Pros o The Common Core Standards are internationally benchmarked. This means that our standards will compare favorably to standards of other countries. This is positive in that the United States has dropped considerably in educational rankings over the last few decades. By having standards that are internationally bench-marked that ranking should begin to improve.
o The Common Core Standards will allow states to compare standardized test scores accurately. Up until the Common Core Standards, each state had their own set of standards and assessments. This has made it exceedingly difficult to accurately compare one state’s results with another state’s results. This will no longer be the case with like standards and assessments. o The Common Core Standards will decrease the costs states pay for test development, scoring, and reporting. This is because each state will no longer have to pay to have their unique tests to be developed. Each of the states that share the same standards can develop a like test to meet their needs and split costs. o The Common Core Standards will increase the rigor in the classroom and thus better prepare students for college and global work success. This is probably the single biggest reason that the Common Core Standards were created. Higher education has long complained that more and more students need remediation at the beginning of college. The increased rigor should lead students to be more prepared for life after high school. o The Common Core Standards will lead to the development of higher level thinking skills in our students. Students today often are tested on one skill at a time. The Common Core assessment will cover several skills within each question. This will ultimately lead to better problem solving skills and increased reasoning.

o The Common Core Standards assessments will allow teachers to monitor students’ progress throughout the year. The assessments will have optional pre-test and progress monitoring tools that teachers can use to find out what a student knows, where they are going, and to figure out a plan to get them where they need to be. This gives teachers an avenue to compare an individual student’s progress instead of one student against another. o The Common Core Standards assessments will be more authentic to a child’s learning experience. We will be able to see what all a student has learned across all curricula through the multi-assessment model. Students will no longer simply be allowed to come up with the right answer. Often times they must give an answer, state how they arrived at that conclusion, and defend it. o The Common Core Standards will benefit students with high mobility. States will now share the same set of standards. Students in Arkansas should be learning the same thing as astudent in New York. This will benefit students whose families move continuously. o The Common Core Standards will allow students to better understand what is expected of them. This is important in that if a student understands what, and why they are learning something, there becomes a greater sense of purpose behind learning it. o The Common Core Standards will enhance teacher collaboration and professional development. Teachers across the nation will be teaching the same curriculum. This allows teachers in opposite corners of the nation to share their best practices with each other and apply it. It also provides the opportunity for meaningful professional development as the education community is all on the same page. Cons o The Common Core Standards will be a tremendously difficult adjustment for students and teachers initially. Make no mistake that this will be a difficult transition. It is not the way many teachers are used to teaching and not the way that many students are used to learning. There will not be instant results, but instead will be a slow process. o The Common Core Standards will likely cause many outstanding teachers and administrators to pursue other career options. Many veteran teachers will retire rather than adjust the way they teach. The stress of getting their students to perform will likely cause more teacher and administrator burnout. o The Common Core Standards are vague and broad. The standards are not particularly specific although you can expect more clarification in this area as the assessments are completed. o The Common Core Standards will require younger students to learn more at a quicker pace than they ever have before. With the increased rigor and higher level thinking skills, early childhood programs will become more rigid. Pre-Kindergarten will be more important, and skills students used to learn in second grade will need to be taught in Kindergarten. o The Common Core Standards assessment will not have an equivalency test for students with special needs. Many states provide students with special needs a modified version of the test. There will be no modified test for the Common Core Standards, meaning that 100% of a school’s population will have their results reported for accountability purposes. o The Common Core Standards could be watered down compared to a few states who have previously adopted difficult standards. The Common Core Standards were designed as a middle ground of the current state standards meaning that while many states’ standards are raised, there are some who will come down. o The Common Core Standards will lead many current textbooks to be obsolete. This will be a pricy fix as schools have to adopt new materials that are effectively Common Core ready. o The Common Core Standards will costs schools money to update the technology needed for the Common Core Standards Assessments. Most of the assessments will be online. This will create many districts issues in that they will not have enough computers for all students to be assessed in a timely manner. o The Common Core Standards will lead to an increased value on standardized test performance. High stakes testing is already a trending issue and now that states will be able to accurately compare their performances against another, the stakes will only get higher. o The Common Core Standards currently only have skills associated with English-Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. There are currently no science or social studies Common Core Standards. This leaves it up to individual states to have to develop their own set of standards and assessments for these topics.