A Christian Worldview of Common Core Standards
Christal Klinger
EDU 520: Bishop
Current Issues WebQuest: Session 4
A Christian Worldview of Common Core Standards
The national Common Core standards assist in education by the use of a system of academic expectations students across the country must satisfy in order to move to the next grade level or graduate from high school. Consistency can occur because all students’ basic skills in English and math standards are evident. Why, therefore, are there concerns about the implementation and use of Common Core standards? To discern this question, assessment of concerns Christians and parents have related to the issue of the implementation and use of the standards are discussed first. Then an analysis
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They claim teachers will have to teach to a national standardized test that when given assesses the Common Core benchmarks, and the teacher’s ability to teach the expected information (Avramovich, 2014). One argument, suggests that an English teacher no longer teaches literacy and appreciation of knowledge from various classical texts, which contain religious references or potentially offensive material or cultural components. Instead, the English teacher must focus on the development of student’s skills regarding reading nonfiction texts (2014). These classic texts, Schultz (2016) states, guide learning towards a deeper understanding of the “truths of the human condition.” Furthermore, for teachers of Christian schools or those in secular education environments and homeschoolers, fear the standards will force them to follow these Common Core baselines so that students may continue to the next grade (Christianity today.com, 2014) without any flexibility or …show more content…
First of all, many individuals from diverse areas of expertise were involved in the development of these standards. The government did not create them in a vacuum as some critics would imply. For example, the state of Colorado had similar standards, aka Colorado Academic Standards, in place before the national Common Core began implementation. Thus, Colorado educators and standard makers assisted in advising and providing feedback during the development of national standards (Colorado Department of Education, 2014).(Should have a second example) There are numerous other examples, but the focus here is that there are contributions made by many skilled individuals in the formation of these standards. Now, from a Christian perspective, one may wonder how this is relevant. It is important to point out that in Hebrews 13:17 (New International Version), guides believers to “have confidence in...leaders and submit to their authority because they watch over you as those who must give an account.” The leaders referred to in Hebrews 13:17 can be applied to the context of Common Core, providing a set of standards, when used as a guide for education, becoming accountable to themselves “and to God” (Romans 14:2). This knowledge of leadership and the standards is essential to discern by Christian
This is a key part in schools today because it’s enforcing a higher bar of achievement for teachers and students (Catapano, 2018). Implementing standards into a school system that are internationally benchmarked means all states and countries have a way of measuring their academic performance. They can use this also as a tool to compile scores and understand the weaknesses to improve students’ knowledge. This provides teachers with various ways to assess their students more frequently through observations and informal assessments to understand the student’s comprehension level of the lesson material. It will help the teachers to strive to improve her test scores by adapting lesson materials to the needs of each
In the article, “Quarrel over Common Core: A Pennsylvania Primer” by Randy Kraft (2014), Common Core and the controversy surrounding it are discussed heavily. Kraft’s thesis is to inform the audience about Common Core and explain, impartially, the arguments for and against it. In 2010, Pennsylvania took on the Common Core Standards. These standards were put in place to ensure that students of Pennsylvania were on the same academic level by graduation, and enable them to be better equipped to compete in a global marketplace (p. 1).
One of the biggest concerning the need for an increase in rigor in instruction in American schools. She discusses that in Poland students must stay in academic classes for an extra year and teachers are paid bonuses to engage in professional development work. She also notes that in Finland they “rebooted their teacher-training colleges, forcing them to become much more selective and rigorous.” In an article written by Sarah Tantillio on Only Good Books, she recognizes the validity of these statements, but comments that in America “the Common Core States Standards, which most states have adopted, they are definitely rigorous, But how they are implemented (and assessed) from state to state and school to school is still a Very Big Question.” Further in her article she points out the large population differences between Finland, Poland, and the United States, and how this affects our education system.
“The Common Core: Far from Home” is an article that discusses the discrepancies of the common core standards, which is one of the most significant changes in our educational system. One of the reasons is that the shift to move to common core was so quiet that 79% of American voters knew nothing about it. The author states that saying that common core is based off of standards is true but can be misleading because the standards are not a curriculum and it is left up to school districts to figure out the details. However, the standards come with a testing program that is more rigorous than the NCLB act of 2001.
Many school districts and teachers have openly stated they do not agree with the Common Core standards and wish they did not have to implement them, but to get the funding the school needs they do. With curriculum changes currently happening all around the country, wherever the reader is have heard about the upcoming changes and have formed their own opinion on it. This is the closest anyone could get to the Colorado situation without actually being there. Common Core is such a controversial topic that many people think over reaches the federal governments grasp on education (CBS, 2014, para. 22). The states hold the power of education, which is why, up until now in history, there have been no national standards.
What was revealed by analysis showing a progression through time with CCSS? Both America’s political left and right vigorously tout their solution is the only one and education is a hotbed because it is an easy target. Evidence: Activists and politicos try and harness the debate from any angle that would put their point of view ahead of their rival. Common Core in the mainstream right media is portrayed as an evil creation by the left. Generally it has nothing to do with the standards themselves, but is likely to be any additional hot point that can be born under the name Common Core (Simon).
Sawchuk discusses the massive task of getting all the public school K-12 teachers ready for the standards. Professional development and the roles of the states and school districts are reviewed. This article is clearly demonstrates the amount of work it will involve to make the Common Core Standards a reality across the United States. Wilhoit, G. (2012). Make-or-break state action.
In 2009, governors and state commissioners alike came together to formulate the development and implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Through membership organizations such as the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) (http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/frequently-asked-questions/), they were able to create a system that represented a clear-cut caliber of expectations meant for students in kindergarten to grade 12. Over the past several years, new amendments have been added to keep up with the standard that 48 states have adopted into their school systems, although the adoption of the policy was voluntary (http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/frequently-asked-questions/). Despite majority of the states in the U.S. having decided on the policy already, there has been conflict amongst the parents of the children who are subject to the rigorous and exhausting amount of tests they must take to keep up with what is fixed into their school systems. The argument against test-taking is a controversy in itself as many believe
Our current period in education is full of great change and opportunity. Students, teachers, and principals are being challenged to think, learn, and apply in different ways. The Common Core State Standards and technology are the main reasons this time period is so important. These two things are creating, "great opportunities within themselves" (Fullan, p.12, 2014) and at the same time are very challenging because they have "unclear implications for implementation" (Fullan, p.12, 2014). Both Common Core State Standards and technology are very complex and create an exciting time in learning across the educational system however, make it challenging for educators in the U.S. to be effective and implement in a way that maximizes learning.
Why Common Core Standards Should Be More Common Why would students not want to be on a level playing field in their education? Why would they not want to be able to move seamlessly between states? These opportunities are given to students by Common Core. Although many opponents may say that these standards are a barrier of creativity, the Common Core Standards being accepted in all fifty states would help America, because it would have teachers across state borders instructing similar lesson plans, it would decrease the achievement gap, and it would better prepare students for college and the workforce by teaching them the needed materials for their futures.
Nevertheless, schools are facing hard times and taking the loss right where it hurts, the pocketbook. Many states signed up for the new curriculum within only two months, which was not nearly long enough to make sure that the new learning standard was fit for them. By signing up, these states agreed to buy tests and upgrade their technology to administer the tests. All of this added up to thirty dollars per student, more than what half the states can afford. “Common Core Causes Collateral Damage” reveals, “Just last month, Maryland announced it would need $100 million to get schools up to speed to administer the tests”(McShane, 2).
(About the Standards, n.d.). Lets start with who designed the common core? Common Core State Standards Initiative said, “states across the country collaborated with teachers, researchers, and leading experts to design
Schools put pressure on students to meet the standards with the consequence that it will later on affect their college and their career. Thus comes along standardized testing, (SAT or ACT) in which these exams force
In my opinion, public educational curriculums and accountability guidelines should be established at the state and local levels where parents/guardians play an integral role in the decision making process. I do not believe standardized tests alone are an accurate measure of a student’s knowledge; their classwork, projects, and literary works also represent a student’s talent and capabilities. In agreement with Robert Schaeffer, a representative for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, that federal mandated programs such as the No Child Left Behind and The Race to The Top high-stakes tests foster the temptation to cheat because they serve as means to both punish and reward students, teachers, and principals based solely upon test scores (Schaeffer,
Education in the content area of English Language Arts, and Mathematics has changed not only from the time I started college but also right up to today. While some areas affected have been curriculum and standards, one thing that has remained consistent is excessive testing. It is an educational challenge that not only I face but many other educators face as well. Teaching to the test has a "dumbing" effect on both teaching and learning. As worksheets, drills; practice tests and similar role practices consume greater amounts of classroom time (Sacks, 2000).