The Common Core: Haven't We Been Here Before?

The Common Core:  Haven't We Been Here Before?

Photo Credit: suckamc via Flickr

Dr. Allen Mendler, an author and educator, writes in this blog for Edutopia about the uncertainty of testing and standards as the measurement for determining student success.  Dr. Mendler equates the Common Core with the professional football NFL draft, arguing that it is impossible to accurately predict future success based on a set of standards applied at a given point in the player's (or student's) career.

Dr. Mendler claims that the Common Core State Standards are just the latest iteration of standards-based instruction, replacing A Nation at Risk and No Child Left Behind.  Adding that standards will do little to ensure student achievement, Mendler points instead to the social ills that plague society in which schools lack the resources to deliver adequate instruction.  Further, Mendler says that using such standards to evaluate teachers is simply the wrong idea.

The difference-maker, says Mendler, is three-fold.  It includes pairing at-risk students with those who are high achieving, creating a culture of high expectations, and training teachers to be both knowledgeable and caring.  High-achieving school districts have these qualities already established, inherent in their systems, but for those who lag behind, an entire paradigm shift is needed, and standards like the CCSS may not be the answer.

However, Mendler does not write off the Common Core as flawed.  In fact, he argues that the standards themselves are a thorough collection of skills or traits that students should be able to master in order to be considered career and college ready.  It is the misuse of the standards as a teacher evaluation tool that has Mendler concerned.  Another major flaw with the standards is their vague language.  While the CCSS points to specific skills desired in career and college ready students, they do not tell teacher what or how to teach.  Instead, they leave it largely up to the educator to determine what content to teach, and the ease with which almost any content can be aligned to the standards is appalling.  Numerous books and websites promise that their materials are aligned to the Core, but in fact they often have conflicting information.

For better results, Dr. Mendler suggests that less attention be paid to creating standardized tests and promoting student performance on those tests, and that more attention be given to creating a culture of learning which values dedicated teachers and provides the resources which make students want to come to school.