Preparing Students for the Global Economy

Tuesday, June 24, 2014Printer-friendly version

 

In an increasingly interconnected world, it is more critical than ever before to provide our children with a top quality education. The U.S. lags behind other developed countries in educational achievement as measured by international assessments, making it increasingly difficult for Americans to participate in the global economy. The Common Core State Standards are an important step in bringing our education system back on par with those of other countries so that American workers are prepared to thrive.

Why we need Common Core Standards

By Jerry Haar, The Miami Herald

June 10, 2014

“Would you undergo heart surgery by a cardiovascular surgeon who had not passed his medical boards? Would your company entrust an accountant who was not a CPA to prepare and certify its federal tax return? These professions require mastery of a common body of knowledge that certifies proficiency. 

"Yet we do not require the same of our young people. This keeps them from successfully competing not only nationally but globally.

“One path toward a solution that is gaining prominence is the controversial — Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Adopted as part of the 2010 effort by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State school officers to improve the nation’s competitiveness, the internationally benchmarked standards define the knowledge and skills students should gain throughout their K-12 education in order to graduate high school prepared to succeed in entry-level careers, college courses, and workforce training programs.

“To date, 45 states are shifting to CCSS for English and math, as the standards are superior to the current ones in most states. By standardizing curricula and assessments, CCSS eases students’ moving from state-to-state as their parents need or choose to move for a variety of reasons.

And,

“Which brings us to international comparisons. U.S. educational performance among all OECD has been declining steadily, ranking now at 27th out of 34 OECD countries in math, 24th in science and 21st in reading. Is it any surprise then that ACT, a leading college testing organization, found that 75 percent of young people entering college are not adequately prepared for first-year courses?

“CCSS specifies what is taught, not how it is taught, thereby giving teachers free rein. As Bill Gates asserts: ‘It’s ludicrous to think that multiplication in Alabama and multiplication in New York are really different.’ In our highly mobile society workers need skills that are solid, measurable and portable.

"Readiness to live and compete in the global economy, to theorize, think critically and apply skills to the real world are indispensable. As Jeb Bush has stated: ‘There is nothing more critical to our long-term economic security than a wholesale transformation of our education system.’

“Common Core State Standards are not a magic bullet and certainly no substitute for effective teaching, but they are a powerful, indispensable weapon to reverse the decline in our national competitiveness.”

Common Core has raised the bar

By John B. Caron, Greenwich Time

June 17, 2014

“…First, we must examine: Is there a problem with education in our country? A new test, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), was designed to measure skills that people need to thrive in the modern world. The United States ranked 24th out of 34 countries in mathematics and 11th in reading. PISA revealed the countries that were enhancing student's abilities to think creatively and critically. United States was not one of the countries.

“Educators increasingly are convinced that after decades of rote learning, the problem is that we underestimate students' abilities. College presidents comment that they must spend billions of dollars for remedial education to prepare students for college math and reading. These presidents say the solution is the use of Common Core Standards at the elementary and secondary levels.

“What is Common Core? Common Core is not a curriculum developed by the government. It does not tell schools to use particular textbooks, lesson plans or technology. Teachers in Common Core focus on fewer topics and cover each topic in greater depth using methods that emphasize critical thinking, not memorization.

And,

“Both the United States Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable have come out strongly in favor of Common Core because of the promise it holds for strengthening economic competitiveness.

“This past Sunday's New York Times featured a story about Chrispin, a fourth-grader in Brooklyn, N.Y., who was getting decent grades but now was struggling with Common Core. His teacher, Ms. Matthews, had taught for a decade. Almost all of the fourth-graders who arrived in her classroom had failed the conventional state exam the previous year. ‘Please don't think you are a failure,’ she told them one by one. She was persistent, using the Common Core procedures, encouraging her students to analyze and think critically even though it was a great effort.

“By the end of the school year, Chrispin's outlook had brightened. He was no longer in the bottom 10 percent. He would be promoted to fifth grade. He would not have to attend summer school. He listed his plans for the next school year. He would get into a good middle school. He would keep his grades up so that he could go on the fifth-grade trip and he would dance across the stage at graduation, a trophy in his hands.

“The world is becoming more competitive with the United States so maintaining the status quo is no longer sufficient. Low expectations lead to mediocrity. Common Core has raised the bar. Teachers and students do respond when expectations are high. Ms. Matthews and Chrispin are good examples.”

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Achieve has developed materials to help states, districts, and others understand the organization and content of the standards and the content and evidence base used to support the standards. Visit www.achieve.org/achieving-common-core.

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