Common Core State Standards Incorporated to Schools Nationwide

BY FIONA ALDIGHIERI, Sophomore

BLYTHEWOOD--Common Core State Standards had a controversy among educators and parents alike.  

On June 2, 2010 44 states became members of Common Core State Standards which demand teachers across the nation teach from the same standards, thereby providing equal education regardless of where one attends school.

School districts were given incentives through the federal Race to the Top grants to motivate teachers.

“Everybody is learning the same material, there’s not an excuse for being behind or not being able to get caught up because everybody is on the same material, and nobody’s going faster or slower or one class is not way behind or ahead,” sophomore Madison Spencer said.

These standards are supposed to bring out the potential and most advanced thinking and prepare all students for their lives ahead. Even international schools with high standards were put into creating Common Core State Standards according to the National Education Association.

“It is universal with the whole country so when students go off to college or when they move to another state they have the same education as other states, also it causes students to think on a deeper level to analyze information and apply information more critically which is a good way to promote learning and explain what they know and apply it,” World History Jennifer Renbarger said.

“It insures a skill set and depth of knowledge in the states and also consistency,” assistant principal at Blythewood High School Mrs. Caine said.

The standards require the language arts department, including American literature, and classic stories from around the world; students in mathematical standards are to practice applying problems to real-world situations. It sets students mind to a more in depth way of thinking just as college students and employees do.

“Not everybody learns the same way and maybe students need a different approach and teachers can teach the same things but different methods for students that need different methods, I think that would be more beneficial than all across the board the same material,” Spencer said.

Common Core standards are very vague and do not go into much detail, and it causes students to learn a quicker pace than they ever have before. Also, Common Core does not have an equivalency test for students who have special needs, which means these students will also have to take the same tests as others according to About education.

“It is aimed to think more critically and the concepts are to move you to be more ready,” Caine said.

“Some standards from other areas that are sometimes hard to implement into certain subject areas, so it will be difficult for teachers and students as well to kinda grasp, but overall I think it’s a positive thing, not to negative,” Renbarger said.

Common Core standards were designed at a middle level understanding so all students can be ready for life afterwards, so as some schools rise, the ones who previously adopted higher standards decrease according to About Education.

“I think Common core standards ensures that everybody is on the same page of material, however I think previous education standards maybe had better test scores simply because some if somebody doesn't learn in the way of common core they can ask their teacher to explain it in a different way,” Spencer said.

It will be very difficult adjustment for both students and teachers, as it is a new way of teaching and not a way which students are used to learning due to their previous teaching methods, and it will end up being a slow process for it to increase.

“Compared to previous standards, again they just force students to think more critically, not that our previous standards don’t, but students do have to take the information and analyze it in a more critical level and then apply to other subject areas if they weren’t required previously,” Renbarger said.

It also causes teachers who had a high title, lose it, or find other career options because of their unique way of teaching benefited their classroom.