Common Core State Standards Pros And Cons

Words: 2072
Pages: 9

Introduction

The controversy over the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a recent debate topic that has been gaining momentum. The Common Core is a set of academic standards in mathematics and English that are designed to outline learning goals for students in each grade. The standards are supposed to ensure all students have the tools to succeed in college, career, and life. Currently forty-two states in the United States have adopted the Common Core ("Home | Common Core State Standards Initiative"). However, the standards are not perfect and the debate remains should the future of the United States rely on the Common Core. The CCSS is not right for the future generation’s education. The new methods implemented change and limit how
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At least four states have opted out of the Common Core condemning them as shameless government overreach (Kirp).

Teachers know firsthand what does and does not work in the classroom. They know how their students learn better than the federal government. The strict guidelines of the CCSS do not allow teachers to use new or multiple methods to teach forcing all students to be put into the same learning box, stifling the creativity of learning.
The federal government is overreaching into the state matters. The government is implementing a nationwide standard for schools. If schools do not accept the Common Core the federal government withholds grants forcing schools to comply. The standards only allow the Common Core methodology forcing schools to buy all new textbooks and learning materials all at once, making the change quite costly.

High-stakes
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The Common Core State Standards has not only increased the stakes for standardized testing in older students but as implemented testing for younger students as well. The standardized tests start as young as kindergarteners. Young children are subjected to the stress of passing tests to show their competence. Students are required to take multiple tests at the beginning and end of the year to show their growth, taking away precious learning time. Older students are under more pressure than ever to pass the standardized testing. Students must pass with a certain score in order to graduate in the future, even if they are passing all of their high school classes. Teachers evaluations are linked to the test results of their students, pressuring them to teach to the test. Teachers focus more on the subjects that are on the standardized tests and spend less time on other subjects. Because teachers’ evaluations are based on the test results they need their students to do well. Teachers educate students on the topics covered on the tests, resulting in teachers teaching to the test and not the subject. The broad standards of the CCSS make it difficult for teachers to understand what topics they need to cover in the classroom. The lack of clarity could result in key topics being missed or brushed over, resulting in students being left behind in subjects like math. Introducing the new methodology, the