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The Common Core Standards
About the Common Core
The Common Core contains academic standards in English and Mathematics considered to be of high quality. The set of standards contain goals that outline what students should be knowledgeable about by the time they are done with each grade. The Common Core was bent on making sure all learners leave high school with the right information to prosper in college, career, and consequently life irrespective of where they are from (CCSSI, n.d.). The Common Core ware created to respond to the need for consistent learning outcomes in the entire country.
Developmental Appropriateness for Learners
Some people claim that the Common Core standards may not be developmentally suitable with its problems concentrated in the early grades. Kindergarten children are not ready to read, though they are required to by the standards. What these people do not acknowledge is that experienced professionals from K-3 teachers to early childhood experts developed these standards. The standards are created to fit the requirements of the 21st Century labor market and the challenges of today’s higher education.
States incorporated these standards into their school systems because they set rigorous, measurable objectives for every child, ensuring that there will be more candidates for college and students on the path to careers. The Fordham Institute conducted an analysis of the Common Core Standards and reported a significant improvement over most states’ academic expectations. There was also greater comparability between states, and districts-all teachers have a tool on best practices and ways to track student growth.
The implementation process may not be doing the Common Core justice, but the States are still running through with them. They are continuing to run the program because it is setting clear, consistent expectations for students in terms of college and career preparations. Out of all the 45 states that adopted the standards, only Oklahoma has replaced them.
For those questioning the appropriateness of these standards in terms of development, they should first remember that there is no clear-cut information on when a child is ready to learn anything that is scientifically backed. Then again, a child’s cognition changes, and these standards are in line with the capacity of 21st Century children. Usually, by saying the Common Core Standards are developmentally inappropriate, what critics mean is, “this is too hard.”
There is no reason to perceive that the literary benchmarks set by the Common Core for kindergarten are too hard. The National Centre for Education Statistics reports that 2 in three children at the kindergarten level recognize letters from the alphabet both in lower and uppercase before they enter kindergarten. Knowledge of the alphabet is one of the “foundational skills” projected under these standards. No parent would want their children to graduate kindergarten without knowledge of the alphabet. Sixty-one percent of children come to kindergarten with more than two concepts of the common core, such as understanding that text is read from left to right.
Why is it called the common core?
It is called the common core because it is a singular academic standard for the entire nation (Trachta, 2018). This, however, does not ring true in practice because only 34 states and the District of Colombia are still fully committed to it. in other states, however, it has been a benchmark for custom state standards. Some states have repealed part of the Common Core, or others have developed their own version. Since every state uses it as a benchmark and is creating custom versions, its common status somehow still reigns.
What the Common Core means to me
The people raising controversy over these standards have not had the time to interact with them at the same level as teachers. Getting to know them reduces the anxiety about how these standards will affect classrooms and students. The Common Core, to me, is an opportunity for teachers to create curricula that can help struggling students catch up using materials that match the Common Core. By standardizing education outcomes, the Common Core is the answer to educational inequality. With proper teacher training, the challenge of adjusting a curriculum to the Common Core is reduced, and teachers can now be able to take advantage of it fully.
Why I support the Common Core
The first reason why I support the Common Core is that it is not an absolute requirement but rather a guide. Those people that disregard these standards do it based on rigidity, which is not correct. The Common Core is adopted by states in different ways, in ways that suit their needs and does not require teaching specific text. The Common Core is just but a recommendation that only works to satisfy certain standards despite the means. This is why it is so useful and practical. I support it because I understand that it is not a rigid set of rules but a dependable benchmark that will achieve great results in developing students that are ready and heading towards college and excellent careers.
I believe that the goals of the Common Core are very sensible, especially in those states that have been ranking below average or far below in these essential subjects. By using a standard that is used in almost every state, the whole nation educates its children and future leaders at the same level. The use of Common Core is an assurance that students will receive a high-quality education. I support this because it will change the statistics, which see 60 percent of students joining colleges needing remedial classes in Math and English, or only 34 percent of eighth-graders showing adequate knowledge of grade-level math and the 30 percent of high-school graduates failing Military entry exams (Riley, 2014).
References
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). About the Standards. Home | Common Core State Standards Initiative. https://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/Riley, B. (2014, March 25). Why I Support Common Core Standards. National Review. https://www.nationalreview.com/2014/03/why-i-support-common-core-standards-bob-riley/Trachta, A. (2018, March 28). Don’t Be Afraid to Ask … What Exactly IS Common Core? Niche. https://www.niche.com/blog/what-is-common-core/