December 9th, 2014 Taylor Palmerone
What is Common Core?
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative in the United States that details what students grades K-12 should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade.
44 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are members of the Common Core State Standards Initiative
Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Alaska, Nebraska and Indiana are the only states that did not adopt the initiative at a state level.
The Common Core Standards have been highly controversial and have public opinion split on the issue.
What are people saying?
PROS: CONS:
Common Core is good because it: Common Core is bad because:
*Increases rigor and better prepares *The tests’ one-size-fits-all approach.
students for college and career success. *No alignment between the tests and classroom instruction.
*Helps develop higher level thinking skills. *Unreliability of tests.
*Provides for continuity in learning from one *Test taking pressure and resulting anxiety.
state to another. *The lack of Common Core instructional materials.
*Enhances teacher collaboration and professional *Too much time spent prepping for tests.
development. *Teacher evaluations based on student test performance. 1
This can be seen as a Freedom vs Equality issue: The Common Core Standards Initiative sets Math and English curriculum in every participating state at the same level. In adopting this “common core” states are giving up their right to create their own education requirements. Because of that it can be seen as a civil liberty. 2
What is Common Core?
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative in the United States that details what students grades K-12 should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade.
44 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are members of the Common Core State Standards Initiative
Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Alaska, Nebraska and Indiana are the only states that did not adopt the initiative at a state level.
The Common Core Standards have been highly controversial and have public opinion split on the issue.
What are people saying?
PROS: CONS:
Common Core is good because it: Common Core is bad because:
*Increases rigor and better prepares *The tests’ one-size-fits-all approach.
students for college and career success. *No alignment between the tests and classroom instruction.
*Helps develop higher level thinking skills. *Unreliability of tests.
*Provides for continuity in learning from one *Test taking pressure and resulting anxiety.
state to another. *The lack of Common Core instructional materials.
*Enhances teacher collaboration and professional *Too much time spent prepping for tests.
development. *Teacher evaluations based on student test performance. 1
This can be seen as a Freedom vs Equality issue: The Common Core Standards Initiative sets Math and English curriculum in every participating state at the same level. In adopting this “common core” states are giving up their right to create their own education requirements. Because of that it can be seen as a civil liberty. 2
1. Josel, Carol. "Common Core Pros and Cons: What You Need to Know." Examiner.com. 2014. Accessed December 8, 2014. http://www.examiner.com/article/common-core-pros-and-cons-what-you-need-to-know.
2. Smith, Hayden. "The Battle Against Common Core Standards." FreedomWorks. 2013. Accessed December 9, 2014. http://www.freedomworks.org/content/battle-against-common-core-standards.
2. Smith, Hayden. "The Battle Against Common Core Standards." FreedomWorks. 2013. Accessed December 9, 2014. http://www.freedomworks.org/content/battle-against-common-core-standards.