The Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standard curriculum is the solution to the unequal education problem in public schools. The purpose of the CCSS is to set goals for each grade level, so that each student, parent, and teacher knows what the student is expected to leave the grade knowing, and what they

“The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is a voluntary set of standards for English and mathematics for kindergarten through grade 12” (Boslaugh, 2015, para 1). It is meant to reduce educational inequality and create the same requirements for public schools in the US. CCSSI is all the content and material that students are expected to learn and know in every grade. Common Core also requires testing for each grade to show if the students know what they have learned. Teachers are still able to create their own syllabuses and lesson plans with Common Core so they still have the freedom to choose how they want to teach the material to the students.

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).

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

The goal of the Common Core State Standards is to prepare students for college and work expectations and help them compete and succeed in a global economy and society. Furthermore, this policy has shaped current educational thinking by providing established learning standards with rigorous content and application of higher knowledge through higher order thinking skills.

It is important to have a successful education, but common core will not only affect the schools it will also affect how students learn. According to Applebee, “From my perspective, the CCSS offers a strong and well-intentioned vision of the knowledge and skills needed by a college-and career-ready high school graduate.” (Applebee, 2013, pg. 25-33). With the world constantly changing in order to be successful is to have the fundamental structure built up for the individual. A successful person is usually successful because of the knowledge they have gathered. However, CCSS (Common Core State Standards) focuses on the main parts of education, reading, writing, and mathematics. Teaching common core is not simple to children or teenagers. Often each individual has a different way of learning. With common core, every individual is paced at the same

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

After diving into the CCSS, I have become a full supporter. The Rigor/Relevance Framework integrated into the standards means that they cover demanding content and applicable skills. To be prepared for college curriculum and careers they will have for a lifetime, students need to master the content and skills. These students will “demonstrate independence, build

In addition, these national standards have been said to decline creativity. And most importantly not completing what is said will be accomplished by implementing this into American Education, which is preparing students for stem-fields and university mathematics. A current study shows less than half of Americans (49 percent) and only 40 percent of teachers now say they support Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  Raising the question as to why students are still being thought this in American

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

Any parent with two or more kids will tell you, no kids learn the same. So in comes common core with the idea to teach different ways to teach the way that works best for students. Now at first this seems like a great idea why wouldn’t we want our kids to have the best learning experience? However, when it comes down to testing which is what really matters during school you are only tested one way “the right way”. This has started a decrease in state test scores and an increase in dropout rates in states with common core standards. Fast Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

Tests implemented by Common Core have become an end in themselves as they have only increased-higher hurdles, being unreasonably difficult, creating a hostile learning environment and higher-stake and stress levels for children and teachers throughout the year. Proficiency from the percentage of students in both public and private schools dramatically dropped to the low 30s in 2015, with minimal improvement the next year (Singer, Results Are In: Common Core Fails Tests and Kids). The Common Core’s massive increases in standardized testing has not only seen a rise of resentment towards school, but a plunge in support among the general public.

Another challenge that can rise from CCSS, is the grading format for students has risen which can become problematic for those student who are performing poorly with the current standards. In The Washington Post article “The Myth of Common Core Equality” by Valerie Stratus, explains the challenges student face with common core, and how it is unfortunately increasing the educational gap. Stratus explain how minorities are performing poorly in common core test, “When a student score in the Below Standard category of 1, there is a good chance that her or his answer were mere guesses, or the test was so difficult, they simply gave up” (Strauss). Unfortunately, student giving up on their exams is one of the challenges that the CCSS is having with ELL students, because they are academically frustrated with not being able to reach their goal of meeting their academic level. The stress level the new standard is having on students is no longer having a great passion for learning based on their poor school performance. For ELL students that lack of motivation can increase by them not being able to grasp the concept of the new standards. When students begin to guess on their exams they are no longer learning, but instead trying to ignore their academic frustration. The lack of student motivation with the CCSS is another example of how the learning gap is unfortunately increasing among students.

The Common Core State Standards are a state attempt to create strong educational standards. The standard are created to ensure that students in the country are learning and grasping the information that are given in the classrooms for them to succeed academically. The Common Core plan included governors and education commissioners form forty-eight states and the District of Columbia. They wanted to make sure the standards are relevant, logical and sequential. For content all subjects must have critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Some positive aspects of this policy is that it prepares our students for a competitive global jobs. It can provide national connections in education. Designed to shape the best standards so that all states will be taking a step ahead in education. These standards had been created after extensive research by professional educators for excellence in education. The CCS focus on what students expectations of learning, and achievements. Educators do not need to worry that the standards will make their jobs look redundant because they are in charge of creating lessons to teach their students the content and skills that the CCS demands. The teachers do not feel that the standards are one-size-fits-all. Some negative aspects of the policy are that is a program created by solely the government. The CCS is a program put together on idyllic situations in education by individuals who have subsidy and students ahead of the learning

To conclude and in my opinion, the ultimate goal in implementing CCSS guidelines is to help students become better at critical thinking and to empower families to feel as though they are actively involved in the process. However, I believe there may be better ways to assess a student’s ability to apply critical thinking skills instead of adding more assessment tests to their curriculums. I believe that too many CCSS assessment tests may not even be good for students and their families. For instance, based on my own observations and experiences as a parent and educator, some students are not performing at the level to which they are expected, which creates feelings of anxiety and insecurity among students. Then, when students go home at the end of the school day, their families are forced to console students who are not doing well with the new CCSS standards formats. This “teaching to the test” model that the CCSS standards facilitate is again creating a system of teaching in the same manner to all students. Yet, many thought the trends in education were leaning towards placing focus on the individual child and their own unique style of learning. For example, some students are visual learners versus more traditional learners. Therefore, the mixed messages in our society as to what is truly most important when learning takes place are not consistent. In the book, Understanding Childhood Development, the author discusses that more future studies regarding how students