What are the Common Core Standards?

Education is one of the most important responsibilities of government. Our future is always dependent on the training, learning and accomplishments of our youth. Trying to determine the “right” way to teach or the “best” way to learn is a constant challenge for our educators.

Right now in Connecticut the Common Core Standards dictate how students should be taught in kindergarten through 12th grade. The methods of today are different from the methods used only a few years ago, so how do we know they will work better?

Let’s take a closer look at what the Common Core Standards are in Connecticut.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are subject-based standards intended to get students prepared for higher education and the workforce. The standards feature lists of skills and subject matter that must be mastered in English language arts and mathematics in grades K-12. As the CCSS website states, “The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.”

The CCSS were created by the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) supported by their partnership with the education policy nonprofit Achieve and its American Diploma Project (ADP). While there was an extensive review process, and input from some teachers and state leaders was considered, the creation of the CCSS is often criticized as happening “behind closed doors” as the standards were not opened for public comment. Unlike standards usually adopted in states, the CCSS were created on a national level for use across the country.

Connecticut adopted Common Core by a vote of the State Board of Education in 2010. At that time, the state Department of Education determined that current curriculum matched 80 percent of the new language standards, and 92 percent of the new math standards. Full implementation of the standards went into effect at the start of the current school year.

Standards were written for each grade from K-8, grades 9-10 share a list of standards as do grades 11-12. The full lists of criteria for math and English can be viewed on the CCSS website, corestandards.org.

Overall, the English language arts standards require students read and understand complex texts, with an increased focus on nonfiction reading and writing, and literacy in science, social studies and technical subjects. The math standards focus on fewer topics than many state standards and emphasize applying knowledge to real-world problems. According to the criteria outlined by the creators, all standards must be:

rigorous, clear and specific, teachable and learnable, measurable, coherent, internationally benchmarked, and must vary by grade to avoid repetition.
The intention of the CCSS is positive – the goal is to make students more prepared for higher education and careers on a global level. However, I do have concerns about the control of education and associated costs.

These standards were created by a national group and do not directly take into consideration what we have found to work here in Connecticut. While teachers have some flexibility in how they teach, they are still being asked to teach differently than they ever have before. This change could limit their teaching style and force educators to pull lessons that do not match the standards exactly. The CCSS have also never been piloted or tested, so there is no way to know for sure if they are age-appropriate or effective.

Schools could also be pushed beyond their budgets to comply with the standards. Our schools need to invest in new professional development and training for teachers, new textbooks and materials, and new classroom technology to meet the demands of the CCSS. By next year, every school district in Connecticut will also replace the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance tests with a computerized test based on the CCSS. More computers will be needed in each school so that students can take the new test, which means significant spending.

Over the next few school years, we should all watch our children’s academic performance closely. New lessons, new goals and new strategies could impact each student very differently. Shared education standards are not a bad thing, but the effects of a brand new approach are not known yet. One thing is for sure, our classrooms are changing, and I hope it is for the better.

Sen. Witkos represents the 8th District towns of Avon, Barkhamsted, Canton, Colebrook, Granby, Hartland, Harwinton, New Hartford, Norfolk, Simsbury and Torrington.