Common Core Advantages

The educational system in the United States was originally developed using concepts from around the world, created using ingenuitive ideas from countries such as China, Japan, and Korea. However, as the United States quickly moved into position as the leading country for state-directed educational standards, America looked less and less to the systems of other nations and more into how we could improve what was locally and currently being applied in education. Consequently, an improved type of education instruction was officially launched in 2010. These new state standards, practically titled Common Core, were declared to focus on developing a child’s skills in reasoning, problem solving, communication, and competition (Conrad, et al. 52). While the standards are professed to be an extremely practical and beneficial method of teaching today, there are issues which have recently surfaced and raised some concerns. The Common Core State Standards are emerging as the subjects of a provocative controversy in society today as they prompt discussion on global economic efficiency, nationwide academic standards, and the ultimate well-being of school-age children.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was first implemented in 2010, nine years after I graduated from high school. Although I wasn’t personally affected by the new academic standards, it has a direct impact on the current and future generation of leaders, innovators, and world changers including my future children. The initial purpose of the Common Core Standards is to set high-quality learning goals designed to prepare students to be college and career ready. Given the current controversies surrounding CCSS, studies have shown that although the intent was to benefit students in the long-run it may actually be hindering their mathematical and reading skills. To further explore the arguments behind the Common Core initiative, I will

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 is built as an infective for education to all schools, but what it is, is a policy that all students learn the same. Common Core has been adopted in forty-three states around the nation. Common Core is designed to get students ready for college and career ready from grades Kindergarten through twelfth grade. “The basic definition of what Common Core is, a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy.” (Board)“The college- and career-readiness standards were developed first and then incoporated into the K-12 standards in the final cersion of the Common Core we have today.” (Practices) The construction of Common Core was by seeing which state standards were already the best, using experienced teachers, leading-thinkers, content experts, and also public feedback about their child’s education. Common Core is currently being endorsed by the White House. “Common Core is currently costing the United States eighty billion dollars.” (Board) Common Core was created by state educational chiefs and governors from forty-eight states. Common Core states that it will get students ready for their futures, but has only hurt them by not truly completing the goals set. Common Core is developmentally inappropriate for students because the cost of Common Core, it is pushed by the government for competition between states, and the strong implantation of standardized testing.

“The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, A Disaster for American Education,” was written by Stephen Krashen and taken from Knowledge Quest January/February 2014 issue. Stephen Krashen is professor emeritus, University of Southern California. Krashen points out that the Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, is not relevant for students. He states there are other issues that should be addressed, such as food insecurity or lack of health care, before we put more finances into strict testing and more advanced technology. His thesis is that American Education is missing the real problems affecting education and that the Common Core will continue to turn schools into test centers.

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

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.

Common Core is one of the most debatable topics in education today. In order to explain the significance that Common Core holds to our nation’s education, one must first define what Common Core is. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative in the United States that details what grades Kindergarten-12th grade students should know in both English and Mathematics by the end of each 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 and the job force regardless of their geographical location. Common Core Standards are effectively implemented in forty two of the fifty U.S. States. Common Core Standards are internationally benchmarked which places our standards in the same rank as other countries throughout the world. Common Core requires students to actively engage in their learning through the use of hands-on activities as well as higher order thinking Q&A discussions that students often lead. Common Core State Standards are beneficial to education because they are more rigorous than and built upon previous state standards, promote equity between students, and prepare students to be more competitive in our global economy.

Over the past several decades the education levels in America have dropped below those of many of the other nations in the world. Having Common Core will give Americans an accurate description of where the U.S. school systems ranks in comparison to other nations. Additionally, it will hopefully lead to improved education. Furthermore, through Common Core teachers will be better equipped to monitor the progress of students. Through the defined standards it will become easier where students show in which subject matter students show weakness. Hopefully, this will allow teachers to provide more one on one attention to students who need it. However, one of the most beneficial parts of Common Core applies directly to students. Because of the set goals and standards of the program students will be able to better connect the material they learn and be able to see the real world application and practicality associated with their

Launched in 2009, the Common Core state standards have done nothing to help students progress their learning abilities, and have even harmed their ability to be educated. With Common Core, teachers must follow strict guidelines on what to teach and how to teach it, but this one-size-fits-all ideal does not apply to the real world. Former teacher, Susan Rakow,

In his article, Common Core is Rotten to the Core, Brian Farmer offers facts that support his opposing opinion on the recently implemented education standards called Common Core. Back in 2001, George Bush issued his education policy “No Child Left Behind” because the nation was thought to be at risk of a weak education system. It set high standards, thus failing to deliver lasting success. In 2007, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers started to work on a common set of standards in the math and English curriculums. The next year, in 2008, those same organizations, with the funding provided by the Gates Foundation, started a federal education grant program known as “Race to the Top”. In order for states to get the educational grant money, they had to commit to a set of standards that outlined what students have to know and must be able to do. Common Core also recently set out to realign state standard

Ultimately, Common Core is not the education our children need. Students need a mixed curriculum of learning, with the intention that they will recognize what their passions are, and not just how well educated they are in general subjects. Having knowledge in these subjects are extremely important, however only emphasizing on certain subjects narrows the child’s ability to learn more. The Common Core standards prevent students from that excessive knowledge they would have, and only focuses on how well they can think on a test. Despite the elaborate plan Common Core presents to raise the educational standards in our nation, these same standards will diminish the student’s individualism, as well as inflict stress and anxiety on the child’s

For decades educational reform has been a top priority in the United States. For years, federal and state governments have been working together on legislation that would improve education standards. Many systems have been created in that time period with President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) being one of the most recent reforms. NCLB seemed insufficient over time and led to the most recent reform in education, Common Core Standards that were released in 2010 by state governors and superintendents. Since its origination, Common Core Standards have been a controversial implementation across the nation.

Although, there many arguments for and against the Common Core State Standards, it is not yet certain who to believe as many of the opinions contradict each other. The Common Core claims to be a system that will help American students catch up with other countries and be prepared for college and careers. They plan to achieve this by having high consistent standards throughout all schools. By having every school taking the same courses for each grade, it helps keep track of every student’s progress and allows them to be at the same pace as

The idea behind the Common Core standards is simple: uphold clear parameters as to what concepts students need to understand for their grade-level nationally. It seems like a no-brainer. Every student, no matter his or her background or geographic location, is entitled to the same education, and is expected to know the same things by the time they graduate. In this paper I will argue that Common Core standards are necessary in today’s education system.