What Is The Common Core State Standards Initiative?
Common Core State Standards have been part of common debates from all parts of the country. Teachers, parents and students have different reactions to the newest standard reform that is being implemented by majority of states. The number concern for educators and parents what is the common core state standards initiative? In addition, how this reform will affect the students?
Studies show that American students are lagging behind its counterpart in other European countries. One of the reasons for this is not having a standard curriculum for everyone. To negate this effect, the common core standards initiative is launch.
However, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is not a federal reform and it will not really take over the educational curriculum that students have been using. This is a state-led reform, which will benefit the students. Therefore, students should welcome this initiative, as it will benefit them the most.
The goal of common core initiative is to develop standard base education for all students across all states. The main core of this standard plan is to make the students well rounded in Language Arts and Mathematics regardless of state.
At present, US curriculum varies from one state to another but the academic progress seems to decline over the years. A better-standardized education where all students are taught on skills that will make them prepare for college is a promising solution for this debacle.
We have seen high school students moving away from their state and continue to pursuit college with full of hopes of a good education which will help them land a good job only to find out that they are not fully ready for skills that they need for college thus resulting to college dropouts or unqualified graduates.
This is where common core standards initiative comes in, it aims to align the student's skills with the work force. The reform will see to it that students are more than ready to take the challenge outside four walls of the classroom.
The new educational reforms will also allow the students to be more competitive of their skills outside the country thus resulting to more graduates that are ready to participate in global economy.
Unlike the present curriculum, students in Literature and Math are just taught limitedly but with common core state standards adaptation, teachers can collaborate from their counterparts in other states thus paving the way for a better exchange of ideas. Likewise, professional development through conferences and evidence based studies will benefit each state as it will enhanced further more the effectiveness of teaching.
On the part of the teachers, professional development may benefit the students and the whole education system.
For the parents, common core state standards will give them the exact guidelines on how they may help their children on their studies. With this standard plan, parents will have active role of participating on their child's education. Thus, the state, teachers and the parents will work hand in hand in guiding and providing the students the good education that they need.
Meanwhile, for students who will be affected with common core state standards do not really be afraid. Some students are reluctant with this new reform because of the wrong perception that was created in media.
Under this plan, students will be real thinkers and innovators instead of just being spoon fed of books and teaching materials. New crop of thinkers and innovators are exactly the type of students education system should produce in order to lead the country globally.
This plan will also ensure that all students will have the same equality in attaining good education regardless of state. After a school year, each state will give an assessment whether the students had learned the necessary skills that they should have learned in the program.
In the end, what Is the common core? It is simply a good reform in education, which the educational system needs in order to produce better graduates.