Common Core Standards Analysis

The challenge for schools across the state and nation is how to instruct students for them to reach the proficiency levels demanded in the Common Core State Standards. The National Governors Association defines the Common Core State Standards Initiative as “a state-led effort to establishing a single set of clear educational standards for English-language arts and math that states can share and voluntarily adopt” (“NGA”). The design of the standards is to emphasize the rigorous content and practices required for higher order thinking, depth of knowledge, and application at every grade level. The standards include what students should know in English and mathematics, and transforms education in America. Even with the existing controversy, the
Although there is some suggestive evidence that Common Core will create students prepared for college and career when they finish high school, research also reveals negative findings in the literature. The Common Core Standards assessments are still under construction, in a manner of speaking. Assessment cost, a significant issue, is found interconnected with politics and especially since there is such controversy surrounding standardized testing, and the controversy has only intensified with the implementation of Common Core (Chingos 2013). Sending a clear message, standardized tests, predict how and what teachers teach. The need to make test performance the top priority is changing the curriculum in schools. Then, in Critical Supports for Secondary Educators in Common Core State Standard Implementation, the authors propose the missing link in the Common Core initiative is a collaborative professional development strategy that increases teacher knowledge and skills (247). This expectation, in turn, will require continued professional development efforts in all schools during implementation. Research must also address teacher beliefs and preparation when discussing the application of the reforms because of the significant impact teachers have on student achievement (Desimone 183). Even though Common Core is a recent development, many questions remain unanswered. Common Core
However, gleaned from this research review and causing concern for educators everywhere, student test scores effect teacher and administrator evaluations (Briggs 24-29). Cumulative information on funding Common Core, the hardships of implementation, and the failure of appropriate planning is mostly missing in the research studies. Even though controversy exists, the Common Core State Standards include what students should know in English and math to be successful in college and