Overview of Common Core State Standards

The word curriculum can mean something different to different people, even to different teachers who use the term almost daily (Manning & Butcher, 2012). However, it boils down to curriculum being what a student learns, both in terms of core subject content, as well as though social activity and elective/activity courses. However, there has often been a disconnect between different states and districts over what exactly should be in the curriculum for various grades and what is needed to prepare students for life beyond school, as well as providing little basis for comparing the US to other countries. That’s where Common Core State Standards (CCSS) come in. According to Teaching in the Middle School (2012), the Common Core standards were created in an attempt to provide curriculum standards that are “rigorous, internationally benchmarked, and aligned with college and work expectations”. Since its implementation in 2009, 42 US states and the District of Columbia have integrated the standards into their curriculums. (Core Standards, 2015)

Since 2010, there were 45 states that have adopted the same educational standards called Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and seeks to establish consistent education standards across the states. The Common Core Standards is initiative state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English and Mathematical standards. These standards help to educate all of the students equally, they help children who move from state to state, as well as they help to prepare students for college and workplace. The common core standard helps to provide a clear understanding

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a voluntary state led initiative that looks to establish clear expectations for learning in grades kindergarten through twelfth that are standard from state to state. The purpose of the standards is to make certain that there is uniformity in student proficiency and high school graduates have the know-how and ability needed for college and a competitive workforce in the twenty-first century. Along with forty-three other states and the District of Columbia, Mississippi adopted CCSS in 2011 in English and mathematics (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010).

Common Core State Standards, or Common Core for short, has been making headlines in 2014. Not a curriculum, Common Core is a set of standards defining the skills in which students from kindergarten through 12th grade need to have each year in order to be prepared for the next grade. Creating these national academic standards was a state-led initiative that included a coalition of educators and governors. Administrators, educators and parents participated in the developement of the actual standards. Here's a look at how Common Core evolved.

Common Core, these two words have come to mean more, in the past four years, than two words with no similarities. 43 out of 50 states are signed on to the Common Core State Standards as of now (Khadaroo). This paper will review the good, the bad and the alternatives to the Common Core, from the eyes of a student that is affected by these standards everyday. Through researching this topic, it has become apparent that the common core has good intentions, however bad implementations.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was adapted in 2009, it was made to make the education system more cohesive across the country 43 states have adopted it, there were previously 45 states that used it but 2 of them have dropped it. It was designed to better prepare students for college, their careers and more. According to Burks et al. there was a stud done and 55% of instructors and teachers said there training for Common Core State Standards was insufficient. How do they expect educators to teach in a style that most they don’t even understand themselves? Common Core State Standards is an up and coming change in the education system in the U.S., like all change there is negative and positive effects it will have on education. Common core has a bug focus on students ability to transfer information, it will also help them understand what they are learning and why, however, it will lead to more standardize test which is already overused, some states will have to lower their standards and educators are already leaving the profession to avoid dealing with the change.

“Common Core State Standards Initiative” is a result of the “Standards and Accountability Movement” which began in the 1990s in the United States. This particular branch of education reforms was geared towards expectations of learning at each grade level. The Standards and Accountability Movement not only brought attention on what students were expected to learn, but on teachers as well – focusing on how teachers were to implement lessons and able to teach for student achievement which would be measured in

For many grades and levels, the standards are too progressive. Performance stakes are being raised for students everywhere. Since the year 2007, the standards were introduced and developed

According to the Common Core State Standards, third graders should demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings (CCSS L.3.5). The purpose of the word study lesson is to introduce students to figurative language. More specifically, we wanted students to be able to distinguish the figurative and literal meanings of idioms. They will use More Parts by Tedd Arnold to create a poster distinguishing the figurative and literal meanings of idioms used in the book. By using the context of the book along with its illustrations, students will have an easier time deciphering the idioms and will become more familiar with the phrases being used. The main goal of this lesson is to not only introduce students

In education field, it is hard to know if all claims are credible and it is not so easy to assess good research. Curiosity and expertise will be helpful to to decide if you can trust the educational change that has been offered. Science can answer many questions, but not all of them.

Forty-two states, along with the District of Columbia have adopted Common Core State Standards. These standards were created to focus only on English and Mathematics. An effect of states adopting Common Core State Standards is that all other subjects taught in school were emphasized less. History, Science, and many other subjects are no longer stressed; therefore students are limited to being proficient in only two subjects. The Common Core deprives students’ ability to be skilled in multiple areas. These standards do not provide a slight “break” from the challenging and fast paced teaching of English and Mathematics. In addition to limiting education to English and Mathematics, Jill Bowden explains that the Common Core is affecting kindergarteners by taking them “away from materials that encourage playful learning” (36). Simple, beneficial learning materials typically used in kindergarten classrooms are being replaced with workbooks and textbooks. These standards are not benefiting education; instead they suppress enjoyable learning that one could gain from free learning. All grades are affected, but especially kindergarteners. These kindergarteners are too young for authoritative standards, and should be learning concepts appropriate for a child the age of five. Standards were made “to become the backbone for student, teacher, and school accountability systems and will play an increasingly prominent role in the American educational ecosystem” (Gutierrez 78) Therefore,

One image of a dystopia is everyone doing the same thing at the same time because of the government. The common core may not have been intended to be Big Brother but it is intending to be that way. Although some set of standards is necessary, the Common Core Standards do not work because they do not cater to the needs of the individual student.

“Meaningful,” however, may have multiple meanings within context. Many people, parents, teachers, and students alike, disagree with the rules and regulations brought forward by the Arizona College and Career Ready State Standards. They believe that the new standards lack specificity and that the training necessary for teachers to understand how to teach the new standards may not be worth the time or money. Budgeting is a primary source of conflict and controversy. By funding the production of the new tests and teacher training, schools and districts are forced to be cut back in other important areas, such as learning and testing tools for special needs children (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities). Another major argument is that the new standards focus more on obtaining better test scores and increased school rankings than actual knowledge. In complete contrast, many people strongly agree with the new standards brought forth by the Arizona College and Career Ready State Standards. It is believed by these people that the new approach will increase academic rigor and improve students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills. Consistency between different schools and even different states’ curriculum promotes easier transitions and both parents and students will always know what to expect. Those who support the standards

What is common core some may ask, well according to Common Core State Standards Initiative “the common core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA). These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade” (About the Standards). The standards were created to try and ensure people who graduate from high school can succeed in life, by having the same education minimums taught to them no matter where in the nation they went to school.

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