If you work or attend school in Alpine School District (or possibly anywhere else...I only ASD has been sending letters home), you likely know that Utah has let go of their USOE core in favor of the nearly-natiowide Common Core Standards. I've recently attended a workshop on what this means for the state of education in our...well, state...and would like to share some of this with you.
Firstly, I will say I was (and still am) a bit nervous about what implementing this Core will mean for teachers. At the least, my childrens' educational experiences are likely to be very different from my own. Basically, the Common Core focuses on aligning with the CCR (college and career readiness) expectations and closing the 'gap' between high school and college. This means an increase in reading nonfiction texts and in informative writing, as well as different math standards designed to trim down superfluous content in favor of going deeper with CCR content.
Here are some things I like about the core:
Gradual Increase in NF Texts: I was worried that the new core meant I as an elementary school teacher would be required to only have my students write nonfiction text, as well as preventing me from instilling them with a love of reading through great literature (TBH, I don't know that anyone has gained a LOVE of reading through informative texts...maybe historical nonfiction, but...). Fear not! The Common Core gradually ups the ratio of literary to informational texts. According to their Standards Document in Reading, a 4th grade student would be reading 50% literary, 50% informational texts. This gradually increases until at 12th grade student is reading 30% literary material and 70% informational material.
Trimming of Superfluous Mathematics Content: I've often felt that we in the US are trying to compete with other nations by cramming too much into too little time. Hopefully these standards will alleviate that.
One to One ratio with CCR expectations: CCR expectations were developed with research into...well, what colleges and employers look for in a ready-to-go candidate! I feel 'closing the gap' between college and high school for all...not just the AP-goers...is laudable, and each grade level standards are a developmentally-appropriate version of the CCR expectations.
Does not limit teachers: The Common Core acknowledges --even expects--that some students will reach the grade-level standard before the end of the year. It allows teachers to supplement and extend the content if needed.
Things that concern me:
No more Content-based classes in 7-12: Classes like Geometry, Algebra II, and AP Calculus are a thing of the past. Instead classes will have names like "Grade 7 maths" and teach a variety of mathematic concepts. This may be more confusing than a problem, but what I don't like is that if a student wants to be prepared for AP Calculus (taught AP Calculus material), they must get on the Honors maths track at grade 9.
To learn more about the Common Core, go to http://www.corestandards.org/
I know there were a few more likes and dislikes, but right now I have to head to bed and prepare for job fair tomorrow. Wish me luck!
1 comment:
i hadn't heard that. i think that mostly it sounds good - although that thing about no more content-based classes does sound a bit odd. it just seems like they change so many things so often, that i wonder if they really gave it long enough to see if it worked. like math - i thought the way we learned math was just fine, then they taught my sister some strange new form of math, then i think i heard somewhere that they went back to old math.
i think if they just let teachers, who have years of training in educating kids, decide what would be best for their class (with some guidelines, of course) rather than constantly shoving new protocalls and plans into their hands, and gave schools adequate resources, the education system would be so much better.
Post a Comment