1) Common Core and Teaching to the Test
FACT: Imposing the high-stakes testing known as PARCC greatly increases the risk of “teaching to the test” and choosing curricula with testing in mind.
The National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National School Boards Association statement
May 29, 2013
“While assessment has an important role to play as one of multiple measures for evaluating student learning and achievement, the continued reliance on one-time testing diverts attention away from content and the substance of what is being taught. This is especially problematic when the one-time tests are brand-new, recently aligned with new standards, and schools have had insufficient time to prepare teachers to meaningfully incorporate the standards and aligned assessments into their teaching.”
Principal: ‘I was naïve about Common Core’
March 4 2013
Valerie Strauss, citing: Carol Burris, Principal of South Side High School in New York. Burris was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York State.
“I confess that I was naïve. I should have known in an age in which standardized tests direct teaching and learning, that the standards themselves would quickly become operationalized by tests. Testing, coupled with the evaluation of teachers by scores, is driving its implementation. The promise of the Common Core is dying and teaching and learning are being distorted. The well that should sustain the Core has been poisoned.”
2) The Common Core is Untried, Untested, and Unproven
FACT: The Common Core standards are untried, untested and unproven. They have been adopted without field-testing in Rhode Island or any state to determine whether they will produce better outcomes for students compared to our current system of education.
Why I Cannot Support the Common Core Standards
Feb 26, 2013
Diane Ravitch, Education historian and expert, Research professor at New York University. Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education.
"I have come to the conclusion that the Common Core standards effort is fundamentally flawed by the process with which they have been foisted upon the nation.
“The Common Core standards have been adopted in 46 states and the District of Columbia without any field test. They are being imposed on the children of this nation despite the fact that no one has any idea how they will affect students, teachers, or schools. We are a nation of guinea pigs, almost all trying an unknown new program at the same time.
“Maybe the standards will be great. Maybe they will be a disaster. Maybe they will improve achievement. Maybe they will widen the achievement gaps between haves and have-nots. Maybe they will cause the children who now struggle to give up altogether. Would the Federal Drug Administration approve the use of a drug with no trials, no concern for possible harm or unintended consequences?”
The 2012 Brown Center Report on American Education: How Well Are American Students Learning?
Brown Center on Education Policy, The Brookings Institution
February 2012
“Despite all the money and effort devoted to developing the Common Core State Standards—not to mention the simmering controversy over their adoption in several states—the study foresees little to no impact on student learning. That conclusion is based on analyzing states’ past experience with standards and examining several years of scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).”
3) Corporate Influence on Common Core Curriculum
FACT: By default, Common Core requires local school districts in Rhode Island to implement untested new curricula and purchase or deploy aligned educational materials. Many of these systems and materials (e.g. curriculum maps, text books, worksheets, etc.) were developed by corporations or special interests with a direct financial or ideological stake in their purchase or adoption.
Testimony for a Hearing on House Bill No. 2923
April 14, 2011
Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform, 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality, University of Arkansas
“Both testing consortia, funded by the USDE, are currently developing curriculum frameworks, models, and guides, as well as instructional materials, behind closed doors, with no public procedures for the selection of curriculum developers, for public comment and further revision, and for final public approval if what the USDE and these testing consortia are doing is constitutional and legal.”4) The Common Core was Undemocratically Enacted
FACT: Common Core was imposed on Rhode Island without a single vote by a single democratically elected member of any local school board, town council, city council or legislative body in the state.
Rhode Island Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
FAQ
August 2, 2011
"The Rhode Island Board of Regents voted on July 1, 2010 to adopt the Common Core State Standards. This adoption underscores Rhode Island’s commitment to maintaining high standards for all of its students."EDITOR’S NOTE: The RI Board of Regents was not elected by the people of Rhode Island. Board members are appointed by the Governor.
Common Core Standards: Ten Colossal Errors
Education Week
November 16, 2013
Anythony Cody, Education Expert, 18 years teaching science and math at Bret Harte Middle School in Oakland, California. National Board Certified in Early Adolescent Science, and holds Physical and Life Science credentials.
“The process for adopting the Common Core was remarkably speedy and expedient. Once the standards were finalized and copyrighted, all that was required for states to adopt them were two signatures: the governor and the state superintendent of education. Two individuals made this decision in state after state, largely without public hearings or input. Robert Scott, former state Commissioner of Education in Texas, said that he was asked to approve the standards before there was even a final draft.”
Why I Cannot Support the Common Core Standards
Blog Post
Feb 26, 2013
Diane Ravitch, Education historian and expert, Research professor at New York University. Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education.
“President Obama and Secretary Duncan often say that the Common Core standards were developed by the states and voluntarily adopted by them. This is not true.
“They were developed by an organization called Achieve and the National Governors Association, both of which were generously funded by the Gates Foundation. There was minimal public engagement in the development of the Common Core. Their creation was neither grassroots nor did it emanate from the states.”
There are countless arguments out there in opposition to the Common Core State Standards. The ones included in this article were very interesting. The four arguments were that the standards will increase teaching to the test, they are untested, corporations are backing them, and they were undemocratically enacted. While some of the points were specific to Rhode Island, I found most to be applicable elsewhere. With any type of testing teachers try to align their practices to a test, but I don’t think new standards will cause this more than it already is. Additionally, I do not believe standards need to be tested in anyway. I understand piloting the PARCC Test, but new curriculum benchmarks for each grade cannot be tested in my opinion. While corporations are developing materials, there is nothing stopping school districts or state education agencies from developing their own. Finally, the state of Rhode Island should have the power to adopt curriculum standards for the state education system.
ReplyDeleteIf there is any standardized test that grades the students on a large spectrum then teachers will teach for the test. Teaching for a test, like PARCC, is not that bad because it could help students get a better grade but then the teachers are not teaching the subject to the fullest. Students could learn more about a subject if it is not right from the text book. To grasp different ideas you need different opinions and different ways to look at something. If you learn straight from the textbook then students will not fully grasp how significant thing were. Also, in some cases textbooks could be bias and to show the other side a teacher has to stray from the book and provide something else. With PARCC testing, the teachers are not being able to fully teach their students what they want. They are only able to teach them the ways for the test and having them completely remember just dates and a broad idea of what is happening. Teachers should be able to teach their students the complete subject and not just is on the test.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion there are many things wrong with the Common Core standards and these four complaints only scratch the surface. I think of all the issues presented in this article the most important is teaching to the test. I believe that teaching to the test is by far one of the most dangerous things that a teacher can do. I understand why teachers would begin to teach for the test under the new standards because the penalties if their students don't do well are terrifying. However, teaching to the test deprives students of valuable information because they are less likely to retain the information. I believe that is that if teaching for the test persists we as a nation will eventually stop actually teach our students and begin to teach them how to pass a test. Yes, passing tests is important in school, but even more important than that is actually retaining and understanding the information.
ReplyDeleteTad,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up four accurate arguments that have been used by Stop Common Core RI as to why common core testing should be stopped before it has even begun. Yet, I disagree with these general arguments regarding the common core. While one can argue that Common Core increases the risk of teachers teaching to the test rather than curriculum of the class, it is important to also realize that the PARCC exam is based off of what a student should already know through their prior academics. Also, although the PARCC will take time out of the school day to administer, the results will actually help teachers adjust their methods of teaching within their classroom. When the scores of the tests come back, teachers will be able to see where students are not understanding the material, therefore helping teachers to map out a new plan to help the students master theses skills. By taking the tests, it’s generally helping teachers understand the materials they need to go over more in class to help the students who did not do that well in certain sections of the test. Basically, the Common Core state standards are just standards. They test students on general knowledge students have learned thus far in their academic careers. They also help teachers be able to guide their students within their curriculum by following these state standards. The tests require students to use critical thinking skills and explain their answers which students are normally tested on. Ultimately these set of skills are going to be important throughout a student’s life, especially when applying for jobs.
In another argument, it states how “The Common Core standards are untried, untested and unproven” yet, the test was administered in 2015 in the state of Rhode Island in order to help smooth out any of the possibilities of a problem within the test, before it was fully implemented and used as a state requirement. The Common Core test has also been implemented in New York where students were able to see how the test is proctored, and what kinds of questions they would be asked. In a third argument, you agreed that The Common Core was Undemocratically Enacted. You also agreed with Anthony Cody, Education Expert, with saying “Once the standards were finalized and copyrighted, all that was required for states to adopt them were two signatures: the governor and the state superintendent of education”. Ultimately, wouldn’t you also agree that the state governor and the state superintendent of education would be intelligent enough to make the decision of implementing the test within their own states? Not only do they have the prestigious titles of the governor of the state, or the superintendent of education, but they were chosen to do that job, the job of deciding what would be best for their state and the education system within that state! Therefore, you do bring up great arguments as to stop Common Core testing in Rhode Island, but it is necessary to look at all the facts of the test before stating that it shouldn’t be given.
AJ