During this time of the year, many of us enjoy the art of fiction, scary stories, and horror movies. Whether you love Washington Irving or Steven King, most agree that the best writers know how to spin a story that can make us afraid of the dark. The best thrillers evoke the fear of what could happen to the edge of the probability that it will happen, to keep us in suspense and eager to find out what will happen next, a page turner.
Education is evolving rapidly in ways many of us could never have imagined ten or twenty years ago. For some, this in and of itself is scary. The world has changed. In order for the Unites States to compete nationally in this changing economy, the National Governor’s Association recognized that we must elevate student literacy and math performance. This required a change in the definition of what it means to be educated in America. Change can be scary; however, keeping education the same as it was ‘when we were in school’ would devastate future generations. When you know the truth and are able to discern fact from fiction, there is no need to be afraid. The purpose of this article is to unmask the myths of Common Core State Standards, to clarify what it is and what it is not.
What is the purpose of Common Core State Standards?
The most important message to keep in mind is that the purpose of the standards is to elevate the level of student achievement.
Common Core State Standards are NOT an initiative of the federal government?
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce (http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards). Forty-five states, four territories, and the Department of Defense Activity have adopted CCSS. South Carolina adopted CCSS in July of 2010 for implementation in 2013-14. Anderson School District 4 is committed to the successful implementation of all standards adopted by our State.
Common Core State Standards are NOT the new national curriculum?
States have always had standards. Standards are the goal for what we want students to know and be able to do. Curriculum is the means for how students reach that goal. All students are targeting high goals, but the means for reaching those goals will vary. Curriculum teams in Anderson School District 4 worked to develop and revise the curriculum for 2013-14, as we do each year. Our curriculum is our means of implementing the standards. We will revise the curriculum annually, based on standards adopted by South Carolina, district progress, and student needs.
Common Core State Standards is NOT part of a plan to sell data about student?
The Fam¬ily Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) pro¬hibits the reporting of aggregate data that could identify individual students. The federal government does not have access to the student-level information held in state databases. States have collected student information through state assessments in compliance with state and federal law, and will continue these practices under new assessments (Reality Check, SC School Boards Association, 2013).
How do we know what is and what is not true?
Years ago, being able to tell fact vs. opinion was a lot easier than it is today. There are ten anchor standards for reading. Standard eight states that students should be able to “delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.” When presented with information on television, news, radio, Internet blogs, wikis, and other media, students should ask the questions, “Who is making the claim?” “Is there an inherit bias?” “What is the evidence?” “Are there other arguments or counter-evidence?” Parents, educators, and leaders should apply this standard in evaluating Common Core State Standards. We invite everyone to:
1. Read the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy and Mathematics documents for yourself. You will find skills for communication, collaboration, problem solving, reasoning, and application with use of data, research, and technology. If there is a standard that does not support college and career readiness, concerned citizens must work with state and local decision makers to provide input on the review and revision of specific standards.
2. Consider the organizations who support Common Core State Standards and why. CCSS has support from across the country to include ACT, the College Board, the National Association of State Boards of Education, the Alliance for Excellent Education, the Hunt Institute, the National Parent Teacher Association, the State Higher Education Executive Officers, the American Association of School Administrators, and the Business Roundtable. In South Carolina, CCSS supporters include the SC School Boards Association, SC Association of School Administrators, and the SC Chamber of Commerce.
3. Work with educators to meet the needs of the students of Anderson School District 4 to provide the highest quality of education to students. We respect the diversity of political opinions and work to support the rules, regulations, and decisions made through the democratic process in our State.
Ultimately, we all want to do what is best for students.
