Source: http://www.schoolimprovement.com/docs/Common%20Core%20State%20Standards.jpg
You may or may not have heard about the changes in
curriculum coming to our students in the next few years. These changes are significant and many
schools including Rugby are busy implementing the new curriculum. In 2009, the Common Core State Standards
initiative began. The initiative was led
primarily by the Governor’s Association in conjunction with other
stakeholders. There were several reasons
that continue to guide this initiative including; differences in academic
expectations from state to state, student mobility (ex. Western ND), changes in
skill sets needed in college and career, and finally global competition. 46 states have now accepted these
standards. The Common Core will replace
our current state standards.
The current state standards are a mile wide and an inch
deep. There is too much emphasis on content.
Robert Marzano (2005) found that if we wanted to get through all the
standards we would have to change from K-12 to K-22 model. We have a coverage mentality in the United
States. We cover many topics but rarely
study the topic in depth. The Common
Core gives us a more complete road map to ensure college and career
readiness. The Common Core impacts all teachers,
and it will be important for all subject areas to play a role. Teachers in Rugby Public Schools are working
in collaboration with one another to implement these new standards. They are establishing what all students
should know and be able to do at every grade level and subject area. The move to the Common Core coincides well
with the work of our professional learning communities.
Accountability in education is not going away with the
Common Core. Beginning in the 2014-2015
school year our students will be assessed on these new standards. There are two testing consortia that we have
to choose from – Smarter Balance and PAARC.
North Dakota has yet to commit to either. At some point down the road our state will
commit to one or the other. The impact
of the Common Core is significant. It
will take a large amount of work from all stakeholders within schools to
implement these standards. In many cases
the Common Core is more rigorous than our state standards. For example, in some instances in mathematics
material that was previously taught in the sixth grade has been moved two to
three grade levels lower. This will
require quite a bit of communication to vertically align the curriculum by
grade level and subject. Over the course
of the next two years our staff will be working to align our curriculum to the
Common Core State Standards. It is a
work in progress and there is much to learn along the way.
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