Common Core Standards

[phildonnia]

Back when I went to elementary school, America was just getting over the disaster of "New Math". So I learned ordinary math, using times tables, and drills. And at some point, I became smart enough to figure out on my own why the standard algorithms were correct and effective.

Now I have a son in second grade, and the topic of teaching reform has re-emerged in the form of The Common Core State Standards Initiative. I've looked over the curriculum, and it seems very reasonable in technique, (though very aggressive in pace). As an example of the style, literary criticism is introduced contemporaneously with learning to read – whereas traditionally reading was learned first, and criticism was an advanced skill. It's certainly not the abstract woo that was New Math.

The resistance to Common Core probably includes some thoughtful concerns from pedagogical experts, but where I'm sitting, it seems mainly motivated by novophobia and political sniping, supported by myth and urban legend, and smelling faintly of fluoridated water.

I should mention that I'm not really concerned for my little boy – he is very smart, and is likely to learn well, regardless of whatever circus they have at school. (Common Core has not been implemented yet in California in his grade)

I received an invitation on Facebook to an upcoming Panel Discussion on Common Core, sponsored by "Concerned Parents of <my city>. It promises debate and argument "on both sides" of this very important issue. I suffered a skeptical allergic reaction because "Concerned Parents" is exactly the sort of name I would give to a thoroughly biased political corporation. I asked them for more information on their organization; e.g.: how long they had been around, how many members had they, how are they funded, who is their president, how could I join, etc., and was given a content-free repeat of their mission to provide useful information on the debate.

The Facebook page of Concerned Parents generally links articles arguing against Common Core. One article in favor of CC was linked with the comment "Interesting opposition in the comments to this article." So I'm pretty sure that the panel discussion will be a political rally disguised as a roundtable debate.

Anyway, I'm going to their Panel Discussion. Any suggestions for questions to submit? Should I, or should I not make an ass of myself in some way? Does anyone know any serious legitimate problems with Common Core?

 

[Moon-Spinner]

How timely. Our town paper has had a sudden flurry on the Opinion Page concerning Common Core. I was just trying to find out what all hoolpa was about by googling it today, and I'm still looking for some details on what the differences are with this teaching method. Needless to say, some parents are for it while others are against it. I hope to learn some more about it here....

 

[phildonnia]

Just to clarify: The Common Core is a set of metric standards only. Various states/districts/schools develop their own "aligned curricula". Most people use "Common Core" to mean the implementation of the curriculum in their locale.

 

[joesixpack]

What I've seen of the criticism of "Common core" seems to be, as you said, mostly based on suspicion. The general principles of the common core standards I've seen have actually impressed me as being very much aimed at teaching critical thinking skills.

Like any new educational standards, the real question is how well these standards will be implemented. I suspect there are a sizable group of teachers who will resist this simply because they're not going to be told how to teach. Other teachers (and by all accounts, every one of my sons' teachers) seem to have embraced them.

 

[Brainster]

Now I have a son in second grade, and the topic of teaching reform has re-emerged in the form of The Common Core State Standards Initiative. I've looked over the curriculum, and it seems very reasonable in technique, (though very aggressive in pace). As an example of the style, literary criticism is introduced contemporaneously with learning to read – whereas traditionally reading was learned first, and criticism was an advanced skill.

Are they really going to try to critique Dick and Jane?

 

[phildonnia]

Are they really going to try to critique Dick and Jane?

Indeed. I imagine something like "Why was spot running?" "What clues tell you how Dick feels about his dog?"

About fifteen years ago, I worked for an educational software company, and we actually had a proposal from a guy to teach the rudiments of calculus in third grade. And it didn't seem terribly wacky when you saw it.

 

[theprestige]

Just to clarify: The Common Core is a set of metric standards only. Various states/districts/schools develop their own "aligned curricula". Most people use "Common Core" to mean the implementation of the curriculum in their locale.

I imagine most districts will just adopt whatever existing curriculum is already acknowledged by the federal government to meet its standards, rather than go through all the trouble and expense of developing their own, hoping it satisfies the feds, answering federal challenges if it doesn't, and going to court to defend it if necessary.

 

[fuelair]

Relax - in seven years or so following it's introduction wherever you are it will be discovered that there are about a third of the kids that really are not doing well under it and someone will come up with a new system that will be energetically and enthusiastically taken up by a majority of districts over a three or so year period. It will have an amazing resemblance to one that teachers who have been around for 21 or more years will remember as having been used before - and traded in 7 years later for a different one. Note neither the higher A kids nor the majority of F kids will be affected by the change but some who did not do well from lower A's to higher F's will change - either improving or de-improving depending on their adaptability to the new system - or, more precisely, it's fit for them. And all because legislators and parents want a fix that floats all students - and there isn't one. And teachers and schools need to appear to be doing something for the kids that really can't be done in any way as there is no way that "floats all boats" and no one wants to recognize that. Fortunately, it is no longer my problem so I no longer need to replay stuff that did not work for all students in the past and won't now either.

Though, if I lose interest in stuff I enjoy right now, I might well start preparing training for the next recycle. Lots of money in that!!!

 

[KoihimeNakamura]

I imagine most districts will just adopt whatever existing curriculum is already acknowledged by the federal government to meet its standards, rather than go through all the trouble and expense of developing their own, hoping it satisfies the feds, answering federal challenges if it doesn't, and going to court to defend it if necessary.

The common core isn't a federal standard, iirc. Isn't it the one that state governors agreed on?

 

[Brainster]

Article about Common Core here. This quote makes me glad Sec'y of Education Arne Duncan isn't teaching grammar:

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told a group of state schools superintendents Friday that he found it “fascinating” that some of the opposition to the Common Core State Standards has come from “white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they (sic) were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they (sic) were.”

 

[Ampulla of Vater]

My kids' elementary school implemented Core Curriculum back when they attended. They are now in their 20's. One is a nurse (RN) working 2 jobs and going to school to be an N.P. and the other is a baggage handler for a major airline who trades his shifts whenever possible to stay home and play video games. I don't know if this means anything or even if the curriculum is still even remotely similar. I do remember the financial backer for implementing Core for their elementary school was a large very liberal company. At the time I remember that caused some suspicions among some of the parents, but I don't remember it affecting what they learned one way or the other.

ETA: Here is an article about Core back when it came to our area. As I stated, it might have been an entirely different program. I have also remembered some of the teachers feeling it focused too much on the state testing and that it was a way to teach to the testing to increase the scores for the school.

 

[phildonnia]

Well, I went to the forum discussion. I was wrong to think that it was going to be a one-sided affair; some muckety-mucks from the school board came to speak in favor of Common Core.

The controversy seemed to be centered not on the curriculum at all, but on the additional testing, and philosophical objections to the "one-size-fits-all" approach.

I can see both points. Performance metrics in any field are always fraught with unintended consequences -- e.g.: "teaching to the test" and creative student classifications. The area I live in is a wee bit anti-government, and there is the fear that alignment to Common Core will become a requirement for receiving federal money.

As for the curriculum changes, I think that Fuelair is probably right; those who excel will continue to excel; those who struggle will continue to struggle, and most normal students will do marginally better or worse.

 

[cbish]

Were in the process of implementing CC up here in the foothills. I've been studying it and the criticisms. Most of the criticism I've seen are from the Far Right political movement i.e. Tea Party, Heritage Foundation etc. There is the always ever present 'dumbing down' statement. But, most of the criticism is the infringement of the Feds in State issues. CC is along way off for most disciplines. The first test are in 2015 for math & English. Right now, it's just wait and see.

Phildonnia, are you San Juan Unified?

 

[chipotle]

Be very afraid of elementary school, especially with CC.

For language arts, CC schools are emphasizing non-fiction reading over fiction, which I disagree with.

For math, elementary education is a disaster even before CC. The state curriculum can be sound, but the implementation insane. The California 4th grade math standards reads great, and calls for kids to learn number sense, proportions, and approximations. The way my district implements that, students are taught *only* to do approximations, never to use classical methods. It's considered wrong to borrow when subtracting, carry when adding, or to do long division. Confident students will ignore their teachers, and learn math over their objections. Apprehensive students will learn not to do math.

 

[Dancing David]

Be very afraid of elementary school, especially with CC.

For language arts, CC schools are emphasizing non-fiction reading over fiction, which I disagree with.

For math, elementary education is a disaster even before CC. The state curriculum can be sound, but the implementation insane. The California 4th grade math standards reads great, and calls for kids to learn number sense, proportions, and approximations. The way my district implements that, students are taught *only* to do approximations, never to use classical methods. It's considered wrong to borrow when subtracting, carry when adding, or to do long division. Confident students will ignore their teachers, and learn math over their objections. Apprehensive students will learn not to do math.

Data, evidence and prevalence?

Hmmm?

 

[phildonnia]

Phildonnia, are you San Juan Unified?

Elk Grove Unified.

 

[Brainster]

Here's an article on some concerns about Common Core:

Would you ever consider the question ‘Whom do you want to be president?’ to be asked of your third grader during a math class (or any class)?

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics will be holding a conference April 9-12 in New Orleans where they will be discussing

“such crucial issues as formative assessment in the common core state standards, number and operations, social justice, teaching computational fluency with understanding, leveraging technology, and supporting new teachers.” [Emphasis added]

Social Justice? During math?

 

[phildonnia]

Here's an article on some concerns about Common Core:

I've seen this kind of rhetoric a lot, which is what makes it so hard to figure out exactly what the true advantages and disadvantages of the program are.

This article rhetorically asks: "Social Justice? During math?" but the quote immediately preceding answers: no; social justice during a teacher's conference. The author is either not reading their own quotes, or else is not sophisticated enough to understand the difference between "social justice" as a goal in implementing a math program and "social justice" as a subject matter.

The author returns at the end to "social justice" (which is apparently a code-word for something not explained). CC advocates are concerned with it, ergo, they must be spending math class on political brainwashing?!

Then we have the horror of making a histogram of religious and political affiliations of presidents. This is more of a real-world application than I ever got in math class, and I think it's totally apropos. But the web page with the raw data on it has links! And these connect somehow to the rest of the opinionated and bull-laden universe. In the author's mind, any link-from-a-link is somehow incorporated by reference into the CC curriculum? If this is the standard, then absolutely no research can be permitted in any subject matter outside carefully screened and sanitized sources.

 

[fuelair]

Well, I went to the forum discussion. I was wrong to think that it was going to be a one-sided affair; some muckety-mucks from the school board came to speak in favor of Common Core.

The controversy seemed to be centered not on the curriculum at all, but on the additional testing, and philosophical objections to the "one-size-fits-all" approach.

I can see both points. Performance metrics in any field are always fraught with unintended consequences -- e.g.: "teaching to the test" and creative student classifications. The area I live in is a wee bit anti-government, and there is the fear that alignment to Common Core will become a requirement for receiving federal money.

As for the curriculum changes, I think that Fuelair is probably right; those who excel will continue to excel; those who struggle will continue to struggle, and most normal students will do marginally better or worse.

Thanks kindly - and as a librarian and or science teacher on and off (moves affected) I have watched the changes back and forth and nothing I said was incorrect or misleading. I will, however add one more: regardless of the fact that a person or two here do not like it, most people learn best by one or two specific methods-visual, auditory, kinetic (hands on) or (argument on this one - but 80% of mine was this way) self-teaching/guided self teaching. Teachers tend, by wild coincidence, to teach best by the method they learn best from. Unfortunately, these learning/teaching styles do not distribute well enough to be able to arrange classes this way. And it is not conducive to a test that tests all in the same way. Oh, I taught from the mid 70's to 2012and loathed my last two years - loved the kids, loathed the pos that passed for an assistant principal AND the new eval. system which is why I created the phrase known and loved by teacher's locally: "Don't step in the Marzano!!!" Invariably get's a gasp followed by much laughter in teacher audiences!!!

 

[fuelair]

I've seen this kind of rhetoric a lot, which is what makes it so hard to figure out exactly what the true advantages and disadvantages of the program are.

This article rhetorically asks: "Social Justice? During math?" but the quote immediately preceding answers: no; social justice during a teacher's conference. The author is either not reading their own quotes, or else is not sophisticated enough to understand the difference between "social justice" as a goal in implementing a math program and "social justice" as a subject matter.

The author returns at the end to "social justice" (which is apparently a code-word for something not explained). CC advocates are concerned with it, ergo, they must be spending math class on political brainwashing?!

Then we have the horror of making a histogram of religious and political affiliations of presidents. This is more of a real-world application than I ever got in math class, and I think it's totally apropos. But the web page with the raw data on it has links! And these connect somehow to the rest of the opinionated and bull-laden universe. In the author's mind, any link-from-a-link is somehow incorporated by reference into the CC curriculum? If this is the standard, then absolutely no research can be permitted in any subject matter outside carefully screened and sanitized sources.

re: social justice: during parent-teacher conference or during admin-teacher conference?