What is common core?

[ltwin]

English and Language Arts is not only limited to English classes. Common Core standards are implemented cross-curricularly.

There is also the C3 Framework created by the National Council for the Social Studies to help states align their social studies standards to Common Core. We studied this in my MAT program but to be honest I haven’t used this to guide my teaching at all.

As a US History teacher, I go by the state standards and just stick to those. We have to cover all of American history from colonization to the recession of 2008 all in a semester class. Then my students (who for the most part don’t care about US history, some even think the course is World History half way in!) have to take the state End of Course test, and when the scores come back I of course feel like a failure

This is what I’m supposed to teach: South Carolina US History and Constitution Support Documents.

 

[Pup7]

I just left South Carolina. (Well, assignment before last; still own a house there.) Tough crowd.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

As a world history teacher (Neolithic to 9/11 in one semester), believe me I feel your pain!

Don’t get me started on Civics and Economics!

 

[Erikaspirit16]

I"m always amazed when this subject comes up. So many people are opposed to common core, and yet when you ask them if they have actually read it, they almost always say no. It seems to me that you have no right to criticize something you have never actually read! There are several links to the site given in other posts above. Read it; then comment.

Second, the actual implementation of common core is up to the states and the local school boards. Different states have different degrees of central control over local school boards. But generally local school boards can pretty much do what they want within certain constraints. And of course the other thing, which has been mentioned, is the textbooks. There is no “official” common core textbook for anything. Rather they are some publishing companies’ interpretations of common core. So then the question becomes: Are you criticizing common core, or are you criticizing your local implementation of common core and their use of textbook X? Keep in mind common core focuses on general concepts; how these are taught is up to the states, school boards, and individual schools and teachers.

The other thing, which I keep bringing up, is the US performance on the PISA tests. These are given every three years. The latest was in 2015. Out of 71 countries participating, the US was 24th in both reading and science, and 38th in math. Canada meanwhile was #2 in reading, #7 in science, and #9 in math. I guess you get smarter when you cross that border. Oh, but the US has so many immigrants! But you know what? Canada has a lot more as a percentage of its population. But somehow they educate them. But it’s probably a waste of time to take a little field trip and see what’s going on up there, right?

Finland was sort of muddling along in education, but then they decided to do something about it. In 2015 they were #4 in reading, #5 in science, and #11 in math–actually down from 2012. It’s not a mystery how they did it. The former minister of education, Pasi Sahlberg, has written a book, “Finnish Lessons 2.0” that explains exactly how they did it. But of course, this being the US, no one cares since not only do we have “the best health system in the world,” we obviously have “the best education system in the world.” Except we don’t. Not even close.

 

[Pup7]

The other thing, which I keep bringing up, is the US performance on the PISA tests. These are given every three years. The latest was in 2015. Out of 71 countries participating, the US was 24th in both reading and science, and 38th in math. Canada meanwhile was #2 in reading, #7 in science, and #9 in math. I guess you get smarter when you cross that border. Oh, but the US has so many immigrants! But you know what? Canada has a lot more as a percentage of its population. But somehow they educate them. But it’s probably a waste of time to take a little field trip and see what’s going on up there, right?

Finland was sort of muddling along in education, but then they decided to do something about it. In 2015 they were #4 in reading, #5 in science, and #11 in math–actually down from 2012. It’s not a mystery how they did it. The former minister of education, Pasi Sahlberg, has written a book, “Finnish Lessons 2.0” that explains exactly how they did it. But of course, this being the US, no one cares since not only do we have “the best health system in the world,” we obviously have “the best education system in the world.” Except we don’t. Not even close.

THIS. ALL of this. This is why CC irritates me. Because no one bothered to see what has been tested and what might be working.

Looks like education research actually can move that fast, if Finland saw a measurable difference in three years - and in closing in on nine years of CC in this country we still lag well behind everyone else.

It doesn’t work. Take my taxpayer dollars and go find something that does, please.

 

[ltwin]

The problem is that countries like Finland actually give their education ministries the ability to create such systemic reforms. We have 50 different education systems in the US, and its actually more like thousands since each school district is pretty much given wide autonomy.

What we need is state governments to actually give their state departments of education the authority to implement state-wide reforms. One thing Finland did is create a career ladder for teachers. Because they have a more centralized education system, teachers can get promoted to positions in the education ministry. This allows them to attract ambitious people to be teachers because they know they have greater career opportunities.

In America, the only career path for teachers is become a school administrator or district superintendent. The department of education is like an alien planet halfway across the universe.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

One thing Finland did is create a career ladder for teachers.

Once again I’m repeating what I said in other threads, but hopefully there are a few new readers.

The county where I live (in the US…) has a 16 step scale (if you have a BA/BS). Your raise after the first year is a whopping $162. ($3.12 a week!!! Wow!!! Happy days!!!) If you finish year 2 and start year 3, you get a whopping $1,088. If you have an MA, there are 31 steps in the scale…but for five of those years, you don’t get a raise at all. After year 1 you get an additional $664…party time! There are three more scales, with 45, 60, and 75 hours in addition to your BA. At least 25 steps in each scale–two have many MORE steps.

So what’s the problem with 16+ steps in the salary scale? Well, first have a look at enrollments in teacher education programs: 691,000 in 2009, but 451,000 in 2014–a 35% drop. Oh oh. And then take a look at how many new teachers say “I’m outta here” and quit?
after 1 year = 14% leave
after 2 years = 24% leave
after 3 years = 33% leave
after 4 years = 40% leave
after 5 years = 46% leave
So almost half are gone after 5 years. And, as with any business, it costs a bundle to recruit and train new teachers. And furthermore, who is more likely to be a better teacher? A rookie or an experienced teacher?

Gosh. No solution right? Oh, but wait! Let’s take a look (I know, absolutely forbidden) at our neighbours to the North. Ontario. Their high schools have a 9-step scale. The beginning and ending wage is roughly the same as the US equivalents. So who cares, right? But have a closer look–if you make it through year 1 and begin year 2…there is almost a $3,000 raise! Because there are fewer steps!!! So it doesn’t take much (a sneer from a principal…) to make you walk away from an extra $162. But you would give a bit of thought to walking away from $3,000 or so. So how many high school teachers leave the profession in Ontario? Recent studies show a consistent rate of less than 5% a year. Well less than half the US attrition rate.

While we’re at it, let’s take a look at administrators. A few years ago my county hired a new superintendent of education for a mere $211,000 + benefits. Ontario? The average superintendent salary is $145,000 (US$110,000). So a little more than half. For more work–Ontario school districts are almost always larger than my county–more students, more schools, more teachers.

So it’s sort of like health care: in the US you’re paying twice as much for an inferior product. What a deal!

 

[Pup7]

But the thing is not every school system in the US has this. It’s not uniform.

In Finland, it is. It’s national.

 

[Domer90]

Thank you for all the info!

 

[MonteRCMS]

The other thing, which I keep bringing up, is the US performance on the PISA tests. These are given every three years. The latest was in 2015. Out of 71 countries participating, the US was 24th in both reading and science, and 38th in math. Canada meanwhile was #2 in reading, #7 in science, and #9 in math. I guess you get smarter when you cross that border. Oh, but the US has so many immigrants! But you know what? Canada has a lot more as a percentage of its population. But somehow they educate them. But it’s probably a waste of time to take a little field trip and see what’s going on up there, right?

Finland was sort of muddling along in education, but then they decided to do something about it. In 2015 they were #4 in reading, #5 in science, and #11 in math–actually down from 2012. It’s not a mystery how they did it. The former minister of education, Pasi Sahlberg, has written a book, “Finnish Lessons 2.0” that explains exactly how they did it. But of course, this being the US, no one cares since not only do we have “the best health system in the world,” we obviously have “the best education system in the world.” Except we don’t. Not even close.

Worth repeating.