SCHOOL TALK: Confusing, Confounding ‘Common Core’
I didn’t realize how little I understood the Common Core learning standards until I tried writing about them. And I have heard a lot on the subject. The Common Core has been discussed at school staff meetings since New York State adopted the standards in 2010, and all the city’s schools have been adjusting their curricula to reflect the new, more rigorous standards since 2011.
Two things you need to know.
First, there were standards prior to the Common Core, but they were different in every state. The Common Core came about because student achievement in the U.S., compared to other countries, was at an all-time low. The creation of the standards was an effort to strengthen education for the entire country, and also to unify it, without imposing curriculum.
Second, the Common Core standards are not a curriculum. The standards can be followed in a second grade study of Egypt at a school in Brooklyn or in P.S. 89’s second grade study of urban parks.
The big changes that came with the adoption of the Common Core were a greater emphasis on nonfiction, on teaching students to use evidence from the texts they are reading in their writing responses, on building a deeper understanding of math concepts, and creating a coherent curriculum that progresses from year to year.
This past winter, our school held a parent workshop on the Common Core standards, focusing on how they are different and how they affect curriculum. An entire parent workshop on testing had been scheduled for a later date.
But the first question for the presenter was: Can you assure us that you are preparing our children for the state tests after the abysmal scores last spring?
The presenter explained that the 2013 literacy and math tests had been created to reflect the Common Core standards, while schools were still in the process of adjusting the curriculum. She also said that since last year was the first time the more rigorous tests were given, not many test prep materials were available.
(Note: P.S. 89’s aggregate scores on the 2013 tests were in the high 60s, similar to the other Downtown schools, meaning that only that percentage of students passed.)
Almost all the questions at the workshop were about testing. Will our kids be prepared for the tests this year? Will the teachers have covered all the required subject matter? Does the school have adequate test prep materials?
The answers were yes, yes and yes, but it didn’t seem to comfort anyone.
After the meeting, parents huddled around Principal Ronnie Najjar. “I was telling them that we have a process in place and tried to reassure them that the teachers spend a significant amount of time teaching testing strategies.” And, she added, “No amount of test prep replaces good instruction all year long.”
It is a shame that parents’ anxiety over testing often overshadows their confidence in their children’s schools.
They attend Curriculum Nights, parent/teacher conferences, and workshops. Many come to Family Friday, a monthly opportunity to spend a period in the classroom, experiencing firsthand their children’s school lives.
But none of that gives them complete confidence in the school’s ability to prepare students for standardized tests. That is why they send their children to programs such as Kumon or hire private tutors.
Most parents love their kid’s school, the principal and the teachers, and are generous in their praise. When the DOE gives the school a low “grade” on its “report card,” parents are up in arms.
They don’t believe their children’s school is a B school or a C school, but, in even the most passionate supporters, doubts can set in.
And the confusion about the Common Core standards hasn’t helped.
Recently, the State Board of Regents announced that full implementation of the Common Core standards will be delayed until 2022.
“We regret that the urgency of our work and the unevenness of implementation have caused frustration and anxiety for some of our educators, students and their families,” said the Chancellor. She continued, “We have heard strong support for higher standards, but we have also heard a desire for more time.”
While I think the decision for the delay came from an effort to appease teachers and parents, it has only succeeded in creating more confusion.
And, not surprisingly, the concern is about next month’s state tests. Will they be as hard as last year? Will they still be aligned to the Common Core? Is the Common Core on hold?
No. Yes. No. I think.
Connie Schraft is P.S. 89’s parent coordinator. For questions and comments, write to her at connie@tribecatrib.com.