The Controversy of Common Core
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. 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 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
Education in the United States is in an abysmal state. It continues to spiral downward as students and educators fail to meet standards. The standards are then altered on a patchwork basis throughout the states. The goal is no longer to have a high standard educational system. The goal now is to maintain the status quo, allowing students and educators to strive for the minimum. There is no common approach to achieve success. Incipit Tragoedia, in comes the Common Core, agreed upon by educators, politicians, and
“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 testing centers.
“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.
“Nineteen countries and education systems scored higher than the United States in reading on the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, up from nine systems when the test was last administered in 2009. “While we’re standing still, other countries are making progress,” said Jack Buckley, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which issued the U.S. report on PISA.” (Heitin). From the outside the initiative, “Common Core” that President Obama and the government have been pushing since 2009 seems like it would be a great thing for education ,our children, and the future of our society, but once you look closer it is not. I believe that we definitely need serious improvement in the US
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
Politics and education have been intertwined since the establishment of public education in the United States. In other words, it is a well-known fact that public education is an extension of our political system. This has never been more apparent to the public than over the last three decades, beginning in 1983 with “A Nation at Risk” which is considered a significant event in modern American educational history. For the last few years, it has been the controversial topic of the Common Core State Standards Initiative in the headlines. One can hardly turn on the news or read a newspaper or web site without hearing something about Common Core State Standards (CCCS). People either seem to be adamantly for or against the standards. Educational reform and educational standards are not new and date back much further than many people realize. Furthermore, if the public understood what the standards actually encompass, there may be more support for Common Core State Standards. However, the public is being inundated with a multitude of reasons why states should not adopt Common Core by making it a political issue in order to gain votes. Regardless of what standards are adopted, common standards in education should be implemented in the United States to prepare students for college and career in order to compete and succeed in a global economy.
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 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
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.
Education has been changing and developing for centuries, and with change comes differing of opinions. The Common Core standards are the most recent attempt to educate the best students in the United States. Although teachers at schools implementing Common Core are learning new methods of teaching, the standards do not dictate what approach they should take; these standards are what students should comprehend and be able to do by the end of the term or scholastic year. Provided that students are invested in their personal educations, students should be better prepared for their lives in the “real world,” what some call the portion of life following high school as a result. The Common Core standards should be the standards of education in the United States as it will improve the abilities of students more and produce conscientious citizens of the world capable of contribution.
If there is one thing that all American’s can agree on it is that the education provided for our youth serves as the foundation for the continuation and prosperity of our nation’s future. On the smaller scale, the students that live and learn here in the state of California will become our congressmen, doctors, policemen; the future of our great state. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was necessary for improving the education policies in place for the youth in California. For one, it replaced the failing academic system, the No Child Left Behind Act. Second, the CCSS drives students to build deeper conceptual understandings of course material and foster their critical-thinking and analytical skills. Next, the CCSS levels
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
The “Common Core” is a proposed set of newly design methods in academic standards in today’s subjects like Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and English / Language Arts courses. In about forty-eight states, this new academic implementation has replaced the old teaching methods to show a gain in the ability for students to be on the same path in every state. The primary focus for Common Core is to measure a fair and accurate way for student achievement for graduation regardless of the child’s state they live in. Well, at first the adopted Common Core standards demonstrated little to no problems once established however, today it has become widely controversial. This research paper will demonstrate this issue
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