Leadership Matters - October 2013

Only time will tell if Common Core State Standards work

Core was a federal initiative when, in fact, it was a state-led initiative and was co-authored by the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, which Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Chris Koch chaired at one time. Common Core is supported by the Obama administration and the federal Department of Education, but they were not directly involved in creating the program and participation in the CCSS is voluntary on the part of the participating 45 states, four territories and the District of Columbia.

I recently was asked to speak to the Illinois community college presidents regarding the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). That invitation gave me pause to remember my Common Core “Aha!” moment.

Message from the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

It occurred this summer down at a family farm where three college-aged boys were working. One of the boys was asked to go get a Metric 19 wrench. He

The notion that Common Core will mandate curricula is a little more complex. Control over curricula remains at the local level, but Common Core does require certain critical content for all students. For example, in English that includes teaching classic stories from around the world, America’s founding documents, foundational American literature and Shakespeare. Like many ideas that have come before but failed, Common Core’s overarching goal of preparing students for success in college and/or the work force is commendable. But it may literally take up to 13 years – the time it will take for kindergarten children to go all the way through school under this program -- to determine whether it ultimately is a success or failure. A few reasons I think

was baffled. He had attended a high school just a few miles from the one the other two boys had attended, but, unlike them, he said he had never heard of the metric system. I’m not cheerleading for Common Core, but the concept of everyone teaching to the same core standards certainly seems like a logical goal for public education. Of course, success or failure will depend on whether the system was crafted correctly and implemented correctly. Only time will tell. In preparing to discuss the Common Core with the college presidents, I came across some interesting – and schizophrenic – results from a Gallup poll taken in August. For example: 59 percent said they did not think CCSS would help make American schools more

competitive globally, but an overwhelming 95 percent said schools should teach critical thinking skills, which is at the core of Common Core. 58 percent said increased testing either did not help or made no difference for the performance of local schools, but 58 percent said those same test results should be used for teacher evaluation. The bottom line is that 62 percent of the people polled said they had never heard of Common Core. That might help explain some of the myths that persist. For example, many people believe that Common

Common Core has the potential to accomplish some good include providing equity for students in an increasingly mobile society, providing apples to apples comparisons among states and, from the perspective of an administrator or teacher, providing some clear goals and expectations regarding the knowledge and skills a student should have in English language arts and math at certain stops along the educational path. A look back at the past 10 statewide report cards

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