Common Core State Standards In Schools: A Case Study

The new Common Core State Standards for Mathematics bring a new opportunity to the classrooms of the United States that many people view as a controversial. According to the NCTM (2013) “The Common Core State Standards offer a foundation for the development of more rigorous, focused, and coherent mathematics curricula, instruction, and assessments that promote conceptual understanding and reasoning as well as skill fluency” (par. 1). While some people believe that the Common Core State Standards may hinder progress in the classroom for many reasons including too much government control, teaching to the test, an excessive focus on language arts and math, and wasted resources, others agree with the NCTM statement about that claims the standards help increase conceptual understanding, reasoning, and skill fluency.

Mississippi, as well as our school district, is offering a wide range of activities to aid in implementing CCSS. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring that students master the knowledge and skills in the standards rests with our district, schools, administrators, and teachers (Center on Education Policy, 2011). Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) allows our school district the flexibility to decide how accomplish the goals outlined in CCSS. First and far most, our district had to hastily make changes to the curriculum, instruction, assessments, and professional development to align the curriculum with this new initiative.

Brighton High School needs to incorporate core subjects in classrooms other than those tested on core subjects. In order to ensure school-wide student achievement, Brighton High School will incorporate literacy and math in Career Technical Education (CTE) classes beginning the 2015-2016 school year. To ensure higher rates of success and accountability to the students, the mastery learning model would give teachers the necessary framework to articulate their understanding across the curriculum through the literacy and math integration (Henson, 2015). By using Leadership Team, aligned curriculum, and curriculum maps, teachers will be empowered to make the literacy and math integration successful. Previously, there has not been a

Though well-implemented programs of study require strong cooperative partnerships between core content and CTE teachers, there is still substantial work to be done to ensure that fruitful CTE and general education collaborations exist at every level. Policymakers must communicate and collaborate to align and integrate core content and CTE standards. In the classroom, educators must pool resources to present an integrated curriculum in both CTE and core classes. And accountability systems must be retooled to ensure that aligned metrics assess a range of student knowledge and abilities that predict readiness for success in both college and careers.

Adopted by forty-two out states in 2010, the Common Core State Standard Initiative strives to provide an educational structure which details what English language arts and mathematics should be taught from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The initiative is the federal government’s attempt to ensure all students who graduate from high school are adequately prepared to enter a two or four year college or the workforce. Despite their intentions, the Common Core has caused much controversy in the education community. The thought behind Common Core is very valid and has the potential to help students, however changes must be made to unrealistic standards and wordy statements. Common Core must first be rewritten so that the language is clear and can be easily understood by the general public. Next ask experts on childhood development and elementary school teachers to review the standards and rewrite standards they see as unneeded or irrelevant as well as unrealistic.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are regarded as a detestable beast by many in the educational field. For those who teach literacy, this is not an uncommon idea or ominous threat, yet for those who have never taught literacy and are now expected to implement writing and reading comprehension student learning expectations (SLE), this can be a daunting task. CCSS along with the Arkansas Department of Education insist on this being done (2013). Many times the CCSS were listed on the lesson plans at the high school to soothe the conscience of the educator and to appease the administration, but they were not taught effectively or briefly skimmed over with the students. With the advent of the

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

When many people think of elementary education, they think of reading small passages and learning the difference between addition and subtraction in easy, creative ways. Now, with the new Common Core State Standards implemented, today’s kids will have more things to worry about. They are asked more challenging questions and expected to have more rigorous answers. This does not set a steady learning pace for the average child.

As our society develops and evolves over time many aspects of our lives change and we find ourselves trying to adapt to new changes. One of the major changes that we have seen over the course of the years is the advancement in technology. We have come along way in many aspects of technology such as wireless internet and we now find ourselves using modern smartphones rather the flip phones. In addition to our technology evolving over time so has the education system in the United States. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has been one of the biggest changes in the United States education system in recent

In a time of educational reform, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was heralded as being the new path to academically successful students who would thrive in the 21st Century. The CCSS were drafted by experts and teachers in the industry with the goal of preparing students for today’s students entering the workforce, college, or training program. In addition, the CCSS focused on clear, consistent guidelines and standards that would foster critical thinking and problem solving skills for students to be successful (Common Core State Standards, n.d.). However, the CCSS have had many critics since its debut in 2010, but it has also attracted followers as well. One such proponent, Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation of New York hailed the CCSS as “a necessary step in the process of reform” and “create a competitive edge in the 21st century world that requires innovative educational strategies that will enable students to succeed in a global economy.” (Common Core State Standards, n.d.). As such, I do believe that the CCSS creates opportunities to encourage

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,

According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, their curriculum “provide[s] clear and consistent learning goals to help prepare students for college, career and life” (“Preparing America’s Students for Success”). However, Kim Burke, who owns a tutoring company in North Carolina, states, “‘There’s not a person alive who can read Common Core from page to page and understand it’” (Bonner). The Common Core State Standards are supposed to be clear and understandable, but teachers, students and parents alike can not understand them and what they are ask of the student. Common Core was launched in 2009, in hope to create a common curriculum across the United States and to compete with other nations that have one curriculum. Since 2009, Common

CCSS is initiated by the Council of Chief State School Officers(CCSSO) and the National Governors Association(NGO) and approved by American Federation of Teachers(AFT). It has been accepted by 46 states. Although background and belief is strong for the standards, some states are having difficulties to adopt it due to financial challenges and professional development. As it is seen, State Policy makers agreed to work together and decided to create rigorous, more challenging standards that can prepare students for the future. With these standards, students will be equipped with the skills they need to succeed in college.

Common Core is the curriculum most children born in the 21st century have taken. The Common Core is the most recent update in America’s school system. The Common Core State Standards, also known as CCSS, is changing the way schools teach and learn. Currently, forty six states have adapted the curriculum. The system is run by the nation 's governors through the organizations “The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA)” and “The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).” It is standardized to raise the bar to fit everyone’s educational needs, which is all done through testing electronically. State tests require that all the students answer the same questions that are scored consistently. The goals for the Common Core include helping students in a way to prepare for the future, and to advance their skills and knowledge. Realistically, it has been negatively affecting students, schools, and teachers. Although the area of government that created these standards and tests have decided they are the best choices, critics have disagreed with the given standards. The Common Core State Standards are too advanced and rushed, which have led to stress in students and teachers since its inception, therefore should be repealed by all states with implementation of the CCSS.

With all the hype about the Common Core State Standards, it’s easy to forget that some states have decided not to adopt the standards–plus, some adopting states are now re-evaluating their decisions. Perhaps one of the biggest arguments against the standards is that “while core curriculum has improved performance in states with traditionally good education systems,” states that have struggled academically wonder if the standards are more a one-size-fits-all pathway instead of a “great equalizing force,” in which the common standards bridge a gap between vocational education and the university pathway.