Common Core State Testing

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In the article published in the Washington Post: “Common Core test gives students no time to think,” Valerie Strauss and Travis Durfee (2014) relate common core state testing with a story about Travis’s first time driving with his father. Common Core State tests are just as bad as being told to drive a stick shift with no previous knowledge. Travis Durfee (2014) describes how the standards for Common Core state tests are in eminent need for improvement. This is important because students are being affected mentally and emotionally by these tests with stress and sadness which is impacting their overall health. This paper describes Strauss and Durfee’s (2014) argument and highlights its importance with content from Ed124.
Why does Common Core State Standards need Improvement?
Common Core state test results are often blamed on teachers and parents when their students are not reaching a proficient level. However, Strauss and Durfee (2014) suggest that it is the requirements set by the states that are the results of students’ scores. Students reach levels of high stress due to the amount of time given to answer an excessive amount of questions. The article suggests that with revision of the standards, students would be able to succeed and reach higher goals.
Strauss and Durfee (2014) describe three examples to support their argument. First, the authors suggest that the Common Core state tests challenge student’s basic skills and abilities (Strauss and Durfee, 2014). Students that have more knowledge about language arts, math, and vocabulary are generally students who attended a higher educational preforming schools. They are shown to have improving results due to their SES. Thus, the standards set by the states does not accommoda...

... middle of paper ...

...(2014) argument how the tests can cause stress on students which can lead into health problems.
In conclusion, this paper establishes and evaluates the key arguments made by Strauss and Durfee in their 2014 article published in the Washington Post. The authors provide evidence showing that the Common Core standards need to be revised. Their argument demonstrated income and educational opportunity inequality seen in the world today. It is clear that students learn differently, but with equal opportunities, lower SES students could have the opportunity to succeed further.

References
Karp, Stan. "The Problems with the Common Core." The Problems with the Common Core. Rethinking Schools, 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 04 May 2014.
Strauss, V. (2014, April 7). Common core tests gives students no time to think. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/

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