Common Core Adoption Preserves Local Control

One of the great things about the Common Core State Standards is that adoption of the standards preserves local control. Local school districts, policymakers, and teachers determine the best way to implement the standards in their area, preserving flexibility for context-specific implementation. Here are voices supporting the standards from three different states, describing how the standards are working and will continue to work in these localities.

Opinion: In defense of standards-based education

By Lawrence S. Feinsod, NorthJersey.com

October 1, 2014

“As a former teacher, principal and district superintendent — and a firm believer that the best decisions about education are made locally — I am a firm supporter of standards-based education. It is a significant contributing factor in the success of New Jersey’s public schools.”

And,

“Significantly, [the standards] enjoy the support of business organizations, which have an interest in developing a well-prepared, competitive workforce, as well as representative of all elements of the education community – the people responsible for what our children learn. Supporters include organizations representing teacher, parents, school administrators, and school boards.”

And,

“Some analyses show that 90 percent of the Common Core goals were already encompassed by our state’s previous standards in math and language arts. Nonetheless, the new academic goals represent change and will require our students to extend their reach. But considering the challenges they will face in higher education and the workforce, that goal is a difficult one to argue against. After all, students grow strong when you have high expectations of them.”

Alabama Voices: New standards deepen students’ understanding

By Jessica Hammonds, Montgomery Advertiser

September 25, 2014

“Gone are the days of asking students to only memorize a math formula and the names of characters in a book long enough to pass a test.

“Today, teachers are encouraging meaningful student-to-student conversations about the material and are working with students to discover the method that makes the most sense to them to solve the problem, not just the prescribed method from a textbook. They know that every student is different and two students can approach the same problem in different ways.

“Yes, students are still required to find the right answer to receive credit, but under Alabama's College and Career Ready Standards, our students are learning to explore deeper aspects of the material in their math and English classes and to fully grasp concepts before moving on to the next subject. This means they are "getting it" at an earlier stage of their education, and when they advance to the "hard stuff," like algebra, they're prepared to succeed.”

And,

“Today, because of Alabama's College and Career Ready Standards, Alabama students are at a great advantage for future college achievements and careers.”

The Common Core secret is out, like it or not

By Joe Dana, The Arizona Republic

October 2, 2014

“The secret to success for the Osborn School District is one that many politicians may not want to know, or at least may not want to talk about.

“Osborn showed such dramatic improvement over the last two years on state-standardized scores, it was one of just two districts statewide to be invited in front of news cameras and reporters by the State Department of Education in July as shining examples in education.

“One of Osborn's schools, Encanto Elementary, achieved an A by moving up a whopping 43 points and two letter grades in just one year.”

And,

“In 2011, Osborn's superintendent Patricia Tate became the first administrator statewide to begin actively implementing a new education model that had been recently passed by the Arizona legislature. The model was known as Common Core.

“’We've been successful because we collaborate on our campuses among teachers. We collaborate across campuses and we collaborate with ASU,’ Tate said. Putting the resources toward the common goal of Common Core Standards have paid off.’”

And,

“’I tell people, you have to have standards. If someone talks about, 'Well, we'll just get rid of Common Core and find our own standards,' I say, 'How do you plan to do that?'" Tate said. "These higher standards are meant to do just what the title says, prepare students for college and careers.’”