With Common Core, changes are coming to curriculum, tests

Paul Jablow:

If you've never heard of the Common Core standards, it's time to take note: They could have a big effect on what students will learn - and maybe also on the tests that measure their progress.

This attempt at creating uniform academic standards stringent enough to ensure that students in every state are ready for college or career has been years in the making. It is being pushed by the Obama administration, with help from organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal is to raise the bar nationally and make American students more competitive with those abroad.

Longtime proponents point out that individual state standards are all over the place in terms of rigor and expectations. They argue that clear standards for what students at each grade level should know and be able to do, drawn up by top educators and used nationwide, can benefit everyone. And they say it doesn't require dictating what happens in the classroom.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 9, 2012 2:34 AM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas