A Call For Common Content Essay

The purpose of the Comprehensive Curriculum Project (CCP) is to analyze the myriad of issues that have arisen over the last few years revolving around curricula and its use in the classroom, school, and district. With the 2010 state adoption of the Common Core, educators experienced many different transitional issues and developmental issues revolving around the curricula. In order to develop a deeper understanding of these issues it is important to conduct interviews, look at the Teacher Working Conditions survey, and to analyze local organizational models that might affect the transition to the new standards.

Knowing the history of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is essential in order to define what these educational parameters represent in society today. In 2006, Arizona governor Janet Napolitano was elected to the chair of the National Governors Association. Napolitano’s work focused on

The Common Core has been developed as a nationwide measurement for student progress. Officially launched in 2009 as a federal funding bill, the standards identify skills that every student residing in the United States should master in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics from kindergarten through 12th grade (Gewertz, 2015). The Common Core itself is not a curriculum, however, it identifies rigorous objectives that must be met by a school’s curriculum. The purpose is to initiate a deeper focus on developmental learning by using interdisciplinary instruction. This redefines the way that students learn because their progress is no longer assessed on the outcome of their performance, but by the process that has allowed them to reach the

Even though the idea of having a common set of standards is appealing to the public, and Common Core still has the support of the public majority, the intentions of the policy need to be made clearer. Public versus educator perspectives on teacher's role in education is different (Henderson

Prior to writing this response paper, I had no pre-existing knowledge revolving around Common Core other than the negative ideas and opinions I’ve only vaguely heard, often including photos of honestly outrageous equations. What exactly is Common Core, according to them, and what is the goal? By definition, the Common Core State Standards Initiative details a list of subjects for students kindergarten through twelfth grade to have learned the by the end of each specific grade. The ultimate goal is to be certain that students across all of the states receive the same education and reach the same requirements in order to be prepared for college work; or, rather, the standardized tests that will determine whether or not they are even granted access into college in the first place.

Common Core State Standards is being heard throughout the education world. Many cringe when the words are spoken and many fight to support what the words stand for. Common Core was introduced in 2009 by state leaders. Common Core State Standards were developed to prepare children for the business world or the reality after grade school. “The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy, also known as ELA” (About the Standards, n.d.). The goals for the standards outline what students should know before leaving his or her current grade level. “The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live” (About the Standards, n.d.). This is an ambitious goal, but with much support can be accomplished. According to Common Core State Standards Initiative (n.d.) The Common Core has been adopted by forty-two states already and is accompanied by District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity. Common Core was developed to improve the academics in society’s schools. Academics in the past years have not been successful and the United States has fallen behind international education. “One root cause has been an uneven patchwork of academic standards that vary from state to state and do not agree on what students should know and be able to do at each

Many Americans, including teachers, are very displeased with the new standards children are having to live up to. If parents knew what the Common Core is doing to the classroom, there would be a revolt.; a quote directly from a New York high school instructor. Instead of teaching the fundamental basics of education, many teachers are too heavily stressed on the fact they have to meet a deadline and rush through important materials needed for adolescents future success.

Like an epidemic terrorizing the western hemisphere, the Common Core State Standards program has swept across our nation, and at each stop, threatened a new way of thinking and learning. These standards were created to ensure that more students graduated from high school with the skills to succeed in college, life, and career, no matter where they might live (“About the Standards”). In 2009, this fresh new take on education was launched to each state’s educational leaders in the U. S. The officials of each state decided whether the implementation of the program was beneficial for them, or if the current techniques were the best option.

To remediate this, we contracted with the Achievement Network to help us connect the standards to a curriculum and plan for a more fluid instructional delivery that would improve the assessment outcomes. They provided us a structure that laid out the Common Core Standards of assessed skills that included a scripted curriculum and instructional activities outlined in their guidelines. Students are making growth towards attainment. However, only 9% of the student population have met grade-level proficiency targets. Teachers are feeling that they are harshly judged because 30% of their evaluation is based on students meeting proficiency.

The Common Core Standards were created in 2010 as an ideal system to help the students of the United States compete with top competitors worldwide. Teachers, standard experts, and other countries studied learning styles internationally to create a system that is supposed to fill the gap in curriculum and the “hole that is a mile wide and only an inch deep” the old system has created (“Myths”). On this new system, state standards will be raised to the highest in 20 years; therefore, no state will have a mediocre curriculum. This means all states will be synchronized to one another, and as Dwyer says, “Parents should know where their child will be from womb to tomb (Nelson).”

Are educational standards and methods of accountability a bad idea? Most government officials, educators, and parents would agree that we need a standard to educate the present generations for the global world in which they will live. Across the United States each individual state has its own method of achieving their vision of what educational success looks like for their unique student population. Presently educators in the state of Alaska find themselves in a vortex of controversy as they try to implement teaching strategies and demonstrate student proficiency set by the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Developments new adoption of K-12 Alaska Standards. Educators face the challenge of meeting these standards which were set forth

With CCSS being present in 2016 in most states it is of relevance to take it in to consideration that it will be around for a while. In years to come, CCSS may become the standards in all states. In order to ensure that there are no refusals to work with these standards, administration and faculty in high schools across the United States should find a way to accommodate these new common core state standards. This can be done through reassuring individual teachers that they are able to teach the new standards in ways that are easy for them, showing different ways to help students achieve a higher-order of thinking, and offer a better way to connect students previous knowledge to knowledge they are currently receiving.

On a brighter note, I can imagine school districts hiring curriculum specialists in the to help create classroom lessons and tests that align with the standards. Curriculum specialists have a harder role in trying to help teachers determine appropriate curriculum to teach in their classrooms. They have to find common ground and what is best for everyone.

* Students who do not master a standard can continue to practice, and demonstrate mastery at another time, say researchers Thomas Guskey and Jane Bailey. This system clearly shows students and parents what the student knows and doesn't know,

Assessment is the driving force behind every aspect of teaching today. There is an increasing focus on grades, as well as a growing concern for US performance, in schools compared to others abroad. As a result, standards of learning have not only been developed for each state, but are now being strictly enforced as well. This has caused much controversy over the effectiveness and legitimacy of the standards and over their consequences. By examining various educational resources, in addition to speaking with teachers and administrators, contrasting views become clearer.