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Very good article with one exception in FACT and one missing clarifying statement: 1) "Exception" - The article states that the Common Core are "new, different and challenging". In Pennsylvania the Common Core are NOT "NEW", and NOT "DIFFERENT"! 87% percent of the Common Core Skills have been in place in all Pennsylvania Schools since the late 90's--that's the last 15+ years. However, the CCSS ARE more "challenging" due to the fact that skills are often combined and not necessarily taught in isolation. (This is a researched and documented FACT, easily supported with evidence.)
2) Missing statement of FACT - The Common Core (CCSS) are NOT a TEST nor an ASSESSMENT!!! The Common Core are SKILLS for which few, if any, parent or teacher has disagreement. These SKILLS are the reason we send our children to school to learn!
AGAIN, the COMMON CORE are NOT a TEST although there is ONE test per year to check on whether SCHOOLS have taught the SKILLS.
The writer is an educator who has work with PDE on the development of PA Core Standards.
The Common Core are only new to large number of States where former academic standards were evaluated to be very weak and not meeting the requirements for a basic education.
In Pennsylvania, the Academic Standards that were legislated into law were among the the top five states whose Standards were ranked the "highest" in the United States. A nationally recognized university research team dissected the Common Core and found the Pennsylvania's Academic Standards constituted 87% of the new Common Core. So while Common Core may be new for the majority of the United States, only 13% are new for Pennsylvania. (PA educators were involved in creating the CCSS given the quality of PA Standards already in place for more than 15 years.).)
"... and ultimately, we - the teachers - decided how best to teach our students to "distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text."
3 comments:
Very good article with one exception in FACT and one missing clarifying statement:
1) "Exception" - The article states that the Common Core are "new, different and challenging". In Pennsylvania the Common Core are NOT "NEW", and NOT "DIFFERENT"! 87% percent of the Common Core Skills have been in place in all Pennsylvania Schools since the late 90's--that's the last 15+ years. However, the CCSS ARE more "challenging" due to the fact that skills are often combined and not necessarily taught in isolation. (This is a researched and documented FACT, easily supported with evidence.)
2) Missing statement of FACT - The Common Core (CCSS) are NOT a TEST nor an ASSESSMENT!!! The Common Core are SKILLS for which few, if any, parent or teacher has disagreement. These SKILLS are the reason we send our children to school to learn!
AGAIN, the COMMON CORE are NOT a TEST although there is ONE test per year to check on whether SCHOOLS have taught the SKILLS.
The writer is an educator who has work with PDE on the development of PA Core Standards.
The Common Core are only new to large number of States where former academic standards were evaluated to be very weak and not meeting the requirements for a basic education.
In Pennsylvania, the Academic Standards that were legislated into law were among the the top five states whose Standards were ranked the "highest" in the United States. A nationally recognized university research team dissected the Common Core and found the Pennsylvania's Academic Standards constituted 87% of the new Common Core. So while Common Core may be new for the majority of the United States, only 13% are new for Pennsylvania. (PA educators were involved in creating the CCSS given the quality of PA Standards already in place for more than 15 years.).)
"... and ultimately, we - the teachers - decided how best to teach our students to "distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text."
This is the heart of it all.
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