K-12 Curriculum Development

State-Federal Tensions Loom in Standards Effort
Education Week
By Michele McNeil
January 14, 2010

"In the latest push for common academic standards, coming up with the standards themselves may be the easy part: The political sensitivities that scuttled virtually every previous attempt are very much on the minds of those leading the effort this time around."

This article provides an update on the Common Core State Standards Initiative.  Whether you have been following the Common Core State Standards Initiative or this is the first time you have been introduced to the recent standards movement, this article will provide readers with a historical perspective and interviews from state education leaders.

Education Week also provides stories related to state standards, assessment, featured stories, web extras, State of the States, and other resources which will provide readers with an overview of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
Look on the right side of the story for these resources and articles.

http://tiny.cc/N7M9h
By Bridgette Wallis
Dallas Public Education Policy Examiner
January 3, 2009

"There are already several indicators that the Race to the Top will be rife with politics, ideological battles, and special interest groups vying for a slice of the pie."

This article addresses the following topics:

Common Core State Standards

Race to the Top Funds

Increasing Role of Federal Government in Public Schools

Additional articles and updates on the Common Core State Standards Initiative may be found in the Archives.

The message below announced the release of the PowerPoint Presentation and the recording from the National Forum that was held in Washington, D.C., on December 2, 2009.  Please feel free to visit the site and share it with your friends.  Frequently, I run into teachers and administrators who have never heard about the Common Core State Standards Initiative.  This information would be a good introduction for educators or other interested stakeholders.  The Common Core State Standards Initiative is supported by the National Governors Association.  Please feel free to share your thoughts on the National Forum and the implications of the Common Core State Standards Initiative on curriculum and instruction.

Colleagues:

Thanks to all of you who participated in the Common Core State Standards Initiative National Forum. The PowerPoint presentation and recording of the event is now available at Common Core State Standards Initiative.

CCSSO and NGA
 

There are two new resources which will assist educators in understanding National Education Standards.  If you are still considering the pros and cons of state standards versus national standards, then these resources will provide you with additional data and opinions to consider.  Both resources come from respected authors, not tabloid news or editorials in the local newspaper.

Resources on National Education Standards:

National Education Standards: Getting Beneath the Surface (Free Online)
Education Testing Service (ETS) - 2009
By Paul E. Barton

The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future (Book)
Teachers College Press - 2010
By Linda Darling-Hammond

http://tinyurl.com/m92vd5
The Huffington Post
June 15, 2009

Jim Rex, the South Carolina State Superintendent of Education, wrote the article above. 

He wrote, "States decide how these standards are taught in the classroom and how students are tested to measure their progress. The result is that there are 50 different sets of standards across the nation, and a student who moves from North Carolina to South Carolina may face a very different set of requirements. On top of that, America's crazy quilt of standards may not be comparable with standards in the countries we're competing against for high-quality jobs."


My Thoughts:
As states have implemented the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, much of the focus has been on accountability.  Students deserve to have a high quality education which prepares them for college and the workforce.  It is unethical for a student to receive a K-12 educational (public school) experience which is dramatically different because of school assignment, teacher assignment, the availability of educational resources or the state the student resides in.

http://tinyurl.com/ybqo8xe
The Houston Chronicle - By Ericka Mellon
Nov. 13, 2009

According to a report by a Texas newspaper, "Texas is in the running for hundreds of millions of federal dollars to spur school improvement, but the state's reluctance to embrace some of President Barack Obama's education reform ideas could hurt its chances."

Questions to Consider:

1.  If there is no such thing as "National Standards", should the federal
     government be able to dictate which states receive federal funding based on
     whether or not governors or state education agencies endorse the Common
     Core State Standards?

2.  Does the Constitution give the U.S. Department of Education the power to
     withhold funding from states which choose to create their own state
     standards (States Rights vs. Federal Rights)?

3.  Does the Federal government have the power to provide federal funding to
     schools and state education agencies "with strings attached"?  Will states
     such as Texas be better off than states who receive millions of dollars in
     funding, with strings attached?

4.  If common core state standards are essential for preparing U.S. students for
     competition with their American peers and with students from around the
     world, should the United States consider amending the United States
     Constitution?

Additional Resources:

Education and the Constitution

Leading Education Associations Support Common Core State Standards Initiative

A Test For Our Nation - By Linda Darling-Hammond (Nov. 21, 2009)
  
Common Core State Standards Initiative - FAQs

Invitation to Attend a National Forum on Common Core State Standards

Colleagues:

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) would like to invite you to a National Forum on Common Core State Standards on Wednesday, December 2nd from 1:30-3:00 p.m. at 101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC.

The purpose of this meeting will be to (1) provide an update on the Common Core State Standards Initiative, (2) discuss the process for developing the K-12 standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, (3) outline elements of state adoption of the common standards, and (4) gather your input and feedback on initiative. Additionally, a graphic display of the standards development process is now available at: 
http://www.corestandards.org/Files/CCSSIProcess.pdf
 
We look forward to seeing you next month. Advanced RSVP is not required for this event. If you have any questions, please contact commonstandards@ccsso.org or visit www.corestandards.org.

Sincerely,
Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director, CCSSO
Dane Linn, Director, NGA Center

States Slow Standards Work Amid 'Common Core' Push
Education Week
Published online on November 6, 2009

"At least four states—Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania—have halted revision of their standards for mathematics or English/language arts, the subjects that standards writers for the national initiative are turning to first. At least three other states have throttled back similar efforts until the grade-by-grade, K-12 common standards are made final in the coming months."

" Forty-eight states—all but Alaska and Texas—have pledged to adopt the whole package of common standards, and that package will constitute no less than 85 percent of what the states ultimately have committed to adopt and implement, Mr. Montgomery said."

"It’s prudent for states to put the revision of their standards on hold, said Michael L. Kamil, an education professor at Stanford University and a member of the feedback group for the common standards in English/language arts. (States refer to “English/language arts” standards by a variety of names, including “reading” and “language arts.”)"

"For one thing, the U.S. Department of Education has announced it will provide $350 million for joint assessments that align with the common standards as part of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund, a program under the federal economic-stimulus law."

To view Governor Hunt's testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, visit http://tiny.cc/XmZu2.

Statements Made By Governor Hunt on April 29, 2009:

"Let me be clear from the very beginning. We need a set of common state standards that are rigorous and relevant, and we must stop fooling around. Today, the variability in state standards is off the charts. There should not be 50 different versions of algebra I across the nation. It’s just not logical; students in California learn the same as students in North Carolina.

We must be vigilant in our development of common standards that are fewer, clearer, and higher. The process for getting there must be based on evidence of what’s necessary and sufficient for students to succeed in college and in work—not on including everyone’s, or every interest group’s, opinion. It should be a tight common core that teachers can teach and students can understand and master."

Additional Resources:

http://www.corestandards.org/
Common Core State Standards Initiative

http://www.pdkintl.org/newsroom/docs/LFA_CommonCorePR.pdf
Leading Education Associations Support Common Core State Standards Initiative

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Facts_About_State/
The Facts About State Standards
U.S. Department of Education

http://www.k12.wy.us/SA/standards/CCSS_FAQ.PDF
Common Core State Standards Initiative FAQs

View this article at http://www.aft.org/topics/sbr/index.htm
Source: American Federation of Teachers

"Imagine the outrage if, say, the Pittsburgh Steelers had to move the ball the full 10 yards for a first down during the Super Bowl while the Arizona Cardinals had to go only seven. Imagine if this scenario were sanctioned by the National Football League. Such a system would be unfair and preposterous. But there is little outrage over the uneven patchwork of academic standards for students in our 50 states and the District of Columbia."

Questions for Educators:

1.  Is it ethical for ten year olds in Michigan to receive a different set of
     educational standards/goals than students in Mississippi?

2.  Should states continue to set different standards or should states adopt a set
     of Common Standards? 

3.  What role should the Federal Government play in establishing state
     standards?

4.  Should states set standards and develop state assessments which measure
     what students should know and be able to do?  Does our nation need
     students with a common skill set or students with different levels of
     understanding based on the state where they attended high school?

5.  Are standards a script to follow?  Do standards force teachers to utilize
     strategies such as curricular reductionism, teaching to the test, and the
     elimination of creative thinking and teaching for understanding?

6.  What does K-12 education look like in the absence of common standards?

7.  If our nation wants to prepare students for life and work in a global economy,
     what should students know and be able to do?