The President of the National Education Association, Dennis Van Roekel gave an excellent explanation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in an NEA policy brief: “We believe that this initiative is a critical step in state efforts to provide every student with a comprehensive, content rich education. These standards can support the collaboration across states and stakeholders by providing programs; resources and policies that will help overcome the weaknesses and inequalities in our schools today” (2007). In addition, common core state standards are also about creating grade-level expectations in Math and English Language Arts (ELA) for kindergarten through 12th grade students. The standards are in accordance with college and work opportunities with the intention of preparing all students to succeed in our worldwide economy and society. However, there are some debates as to whether the standards will really influence student achievement. While some believe that with common core state standards children in one state no longer get such a great different education than a student in another. Whereas some feel strongly that the need is for quality teaching, not common standards, to improve students’ school achievement. Thus, this research paper will seek to explore the pros and cons of the common core state standards initiative. …show more content…
Repeatedly shifting over time, intergovernmental relations (IGR) have been the focuses of much attention in academic and policy arena. Intergovernmental relations in education policy have been “dominated by regulations, categorical programs, and technical assistance by higher levels of government to stimulate or require lower levels to make changes in policy and practice” (Kirst & Long, 1986).
Stevenson, Garth. "Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations." Canadian Politics in the 21st Century. Ed. Michael S. Whittington and Glen Williams. Scarborough, Ont.: Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000. 85-1
Forty-two states have adopted Common Core State Standards. These standards were created to focus only on English and Mathematics. In effect of states adopting Common Core Standards, all other subjects taught in school seemed less important. History and Science standards are no longer stressed. Students are limited to being proficient in only two subjects. The Common Core deprives students’ ability to be skilled in multiple areas. These standards do not provide a slight “break” from the challenging fast past teaching of English and Mathematics. In addition to limiting education to English and Mathematics, Jill Bowden explains that the Common Core is affecting kindergarteners by taking “away from materials that encourage playful learning.” (36).
The policy “No Child Left Behind (NCLB)” is a policy where Federal legislation has mandated that children be tested, and where there is compliance with standards. Simply means, that all children must meet standards. The standards are defined by the states, and all children will be subject to testing, starting from as early as third grade. The students will be tested annually, in order to ensure that they are getting the type of education that they are entitled to, as determined by their performance on standardized tests.
The proposed Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act identifies key factors for college and career-ready students. The act asks that states adopt rigorous college and career ready standards in English/language arts and mathematics along with assessments aligned to these standards. In June of 2010, the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards which 45 out of 50 states have currently adopted. Additionally, states are required to develop a system of accountability that rewards successful schools, requires interventions for the lowest-perfor...
New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Shiraev, Eric B., and Vladislav M. Zubok. International Relations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Silver, Larry.
With the common core standards students now will be able to transfer schools and understand what is going on because the Common Core Standard provides a clear understanding to all students of what they are expected to learn. It will provide all of the students with an equal opportunity to learn same curriculum no matter which school they are going to. These standards will not limit the students with different level of achievement among students; instead they will ensure a more consistent exposure to materials and learning experience though instructions and teacher preparation. However, two c...
The Common Core Standards prepare students for a competitive global economy and has been designed to leave room for tailoring to specific state populations who must adopt at least eighty five percent of the standards, leaving fifteen percent to tweak. The Common Core Standards were designed by a diverse group of teachers, experts, parents, and school administrators to reflect aspirations for student achievement and an understanding of the realities of the classroom.
These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade Anya Kamenetz author of "Tough Week for the Common Core" writes that “[t]he Common Core [is] not, strictly speaking, national standards. They were developed independently of the federal government, and states are not under a mandate to adopt them,” but then goes on to say that the “standards received a big boost in the form of funding incentives from the Obama administration” (1). These “big boost[s]” are what concerns many like Bobby Jindal. “A few years ago, Jindal was one of the Common Core 's biggest proponents. But he has since had a change of heart” (3). Bobby Jindal, along with many other opposers, question what would happen if state who had implemented common core in their schools suddenly dropped the plan? Anya Kamenetz furthers her article by stating that the three states who have already done this “now face spending tens of millions of dollars to create new standards, adopt new materials to go with them and retrain teachers” (1). Some might say that this decrease in funding is expected because the federal government had agreed to fund a specific program and although schools don 't have to use that program, those who don 't have to find the funding for their programs themselves. But how is this
NEA Government Relations. “School Modernization Facts- Hawaii.” National Education Association Website. May 23, 2001. <http://www.nea.org>
The Common Cores are set of guidelines that each teacher must meet during each school year. These guidelines are met during exams and other types of testing. In Stop The Madness: On “No Child Left Behind” by Diane Ravitch she begins her argument against the NCLB-No Child Left Behind- saying that it worthless for it forces the school to focus only making test requirements instead of students actually getting the main reason why students that go to school, it is to receive knowledge. “One of the unintended consequences of NCLB was the shrinkage of time available to teach anything other than reading and math...Test scores became an obsession” ( Paragraph 7 Ravitch). The “test scores” are wrecking and straying away from true purpose of the schools around the country. The obsession made many educators focus on more test taking skills then the actual knowledge of the subject in order to reach the stranders that the administration have given them . Despite the test scores, the United States are not high rank in math according to the U.S Math Performance in Global Perspective by the Harvard University and Stanford University. In the US itself, the percentage of students that are taking advanced classes are 11.4% in Massachusetts. This is the highest percentage in the US that students are taking high scores. Yes, not every student has the ability to do the
Betts, Julian. Getting choice right: ensuring equity and efficiency in education policy. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2005.
There are many studies have conducted on the Common Core issue. I am interested in reading and knowing this topic, the Common Core Standards in the American perspective. According to State Standards Initiative, the Common Core State Standards established curricula for English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects “the Standards” are the peak of a prolonged effort to carry out the charge supplied by the states to build the generation of K-12 standards to help guarantee that all learners are college and occupation ready in knowledge at the end of high school. (Schutz, n.d.).
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Nelson Mandela). Education is the best weapon we arm ourselves with going into the world. As we arm ourselves we must also arm the generations that come behind us. The world is always advancing; thus, education most also advance. The nation is constantly trying to adapt its educational system. The government desires to see the nation thrive, the primary goal: preparing America’s youth for success, thus establishing future national success. Early knowledge of math is one of the strongest contributing factors that predict math grades in high school and college (Fuson). Therefore, the amount of knowledge children consume is vital in the early years of learning. The government has attempted numerous curriculums, standards, and programs over time to drive America’s youth towards advancements in math. The Common Core Standards for Mathematics over the years has been pushed into American classrooms. Although Common Core math seemed to have great potential, it has quickly raised concerns in homes and classrooms. Common Core math
Mingst, K. (2011). Essentials of international relations. (5th ed., p. 70). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Joel R Campbell, Leena Thacker Kumar, and Steve Slagle. "Bargaining Sovereignty: State Power and Networked Governance in a Globalizing World." International Social Science Review 85.3/4 (2010): 107. Print.