As a current and
future educator, as well as a mother of 4 young children, the state of the
United States education system and our steady decline in student achievement
rankings greatly concerns me. As we explore possible solutions to this problem
the idea of “The Common Core” often comes up.
“The CommonCore” consists of cohesive expectations for what students in Kindergarten through 12th grade should be taught and be able to achieve in each grade. The goal of “The Common Core” is that it will better prepare students for college and the workforce.
“The CommonCore” consists of cohesive expectations for what students in Kindergarten through 12th grade should be taught and be able to achieve in each grade. The goal of “The Common Core” is that it will better prepare students for college and the workforce.
In order to make an educated decision on your position in regards to “The Common Core” it is important to be aware of some of the pros and cons of this unified strategy. This is a list of some of the positive and negative
aspects of “The Common Core”.
Pros
·
Allows
states to compare standardized tests more accurately and shows how students are
achieving from state to state
·
Common
core standards are internationally bench-marked and countries that currently
have a single set of national norms have high performing students, therefore
the U.S. should be successful in improving their academic ranking which has
steadily been dropping
·
Classes
can be more rigorous and high quality
·
Common
core offers relief to highly mobile students such as students who often move
from state to state for parent employment or military involvement
·
Common
Core will improve students ability to use higher level of thinking
·
In
the long run it will lower monies spent by states for test development,
scoring, and reporting
·
Will
enhance teacher collaboration and professional development
Cons
·
Common
Core standardized tests will not have an adapted or modified version for
special education students
·
States
that currently have high standards may have to lower their standards to meet
those of other states
·
Younger
students will have a more rigid learning experience than their older peers
experienced
·
Initial
adjustment for teachers and students may prove difficult because it will
introduce a different teaching and
learning style
·
May
result in high teacher turn over because some teachers will choose to resign or
retire rater than learn the new teaching techniques or curricula
·
Initial
cost for states may be high due to changes in inefficient textbooks and
technology
After reflecting on the benefits and downfalls of “The Common
Core” I still haven’t decided if I am an advocate or not. Although I see the
benefits of common standards, I am concerned that some organizations are
confusing common standards with unified instruction. Furthermore, our focus is
so standard driven that we are neglecting individual developmental differences.
In this regard, both high and low achieving students are affected. For example,
gifted students may not be allowed to express their learning by displaying
their multiple intelligences and special education students are assessed and
reported using the same guidelines. Where do you stand?
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