Last week, the final set of academic standards that are shared among schools and states was released. This marks the end of months of collaborative work and revisions with input from education officials, teachers’ unions, and other education interest groups. The goal of this project is to address the inconsistent expectations and standards in schools and states, which often leads to students being unprepared for work or college.
The Common Core State Standards Initiative announced the final documents at a press event in a Georgia high school on June 2. The event was attended by influential figures such as governors and education commissioners, who expressed their support for the standards. Steven L. Paine, the schools superintendent in West Virginia, praised the standards and emphasized that they will help ensure that students receive a quality education.
The final documents outline the knowledge and skills that students should have in mathematics and English/language arts. These standards were developed by experts who were part of the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The writing and feedback panels included university scholars, state curriculum specialists, teachers, and various education organizations.
The drafts of the standards went through multiple rounds of revisions based on feedback from state departments of education, teachers’ unions, and subject-matter groups. However, some critics argued that there was not enough opportunity for public input or that the expectations set by the standards were either too rigorous or not rigorous enough.
The first public draft of the standards, released in March, received over 10,000 comments from the public. The final version incorporates this feedback, as well as input from states and specialized groups.
William McCallum, one of the lead writers of the math standards, explained that the final version was made more user-friendly, with clearer guidance for teachers and a more organized structure. The math standards were also made more accessible and the progression of concepts from grade to grade was improved. McCallum further highlighted that the standards now better prepare students for Algebra 1 in 8th grade.
The English/language arts standards also underwent revisions. There is now increased emphasis on reading and writing technical materials, such as government documents. World literature was added for grades 9 and 10, and determining the complexity of texts was made easier. The concerns of the early-childhood community were also taken into account, resulting in the recognition of play as a method of learning and the acknowledgement of individual variations in skill development among young children.
The choice of location for the announcement event, Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia, and the list of attendees were strategic moves aimed at countering criticism that the common standards were a federal intrusion into state education decisions. The organizers of the initiative wanted to emphasize that the standards were not solely dictated by the federal government, as the event was held far away from Washington. Additionally, President Barack Obama’s support for the standards and the availability of federal funding through the Race to the Top grant program led to suspicions of federal influence.
‘Logical Progression’
Leah Luke, who was named Wisconsin’s teacher of the year in 2010, highly praised the standards as an effective teaching tool. She commended them for exemplifying the best classroom practice of having the end goal in mind. The standards-writers smiled and nodded in agreement. "There is a clear and logical progression of skills from the final outcome all the way down to kindergarten," she explained.
Ms. Luke, an experienced teacher of 18 years who has expertise in both English and Spanish, also expressed her excitement that language skills are no longer limited to English teachers alone. She highlighted the importance of sharing these skills with teachers of other subjects such as science and social studies. Urban superintendents also voiced their support for the standards. Andrés Alonso, the chief executive officer of the Baltimore school system, spoke on behalf of the 55 urban superintendents who signed a statement of support through the Council of the Great City Schools. He emphasized that the superintendents believe this work is not just about access and equity, but fundamentally about achieving excellence. He added, "Excellence has been denied for too long to too many of our students."
The four major math societies, including the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, issued a statement endorsing the standards. In an interview, W. Gary Martin, a professor of mathematics education at Auburn University, who reviewed the standards on behalf of the NCTM, praised the fact that all four groups were able to endorse them. He particularly highlighted the significant improvement in the area of reasoning and mathematical thinking, which had been a concern for them.
However, there are still some who do not universally accept the standards. R. James Milgram, one of the core-standards validation committee members who refused to sign off on the document, argued that the math standards still fall short compared to those in California, Minnesota, Massachusetts, or Indiana. "While they are certainly better than the majority of standards in this country, they do not align well with international expectations and are not quite as strong as the best state standards," said Mr. Milgram, a professor emeritus of mathematics at Stanford University, during a phone interview.
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia pledged their support to help develop the common-core initiative, but this did not obligate them to fully adopt the resulting document. Kentucky, Hawaii, Maryland, and West Virginia tentatively adopted the standards based on earlier drafts. Two more states, North Carolina and Wisconsin, have now adopted them in their final form. With the document now finalized and the Race to the Top program requiring state action by August 2nd, dozens more states will need to make decisions regarding adoption in the coming months.
