The Common Core State State Standards are meant to act as universal teaching goals – objectives which all teachers should meet, across all of the participating states. Though the Common Core has its fair share of opponents, the idea of standardized-based learning is not a new one, and in fact, many states had their own sets of standards pre-CCSS. The difference in the Common Core, though, is that it applies the same Standards to multiple states, making them universal for students across the country. Here are three benefits of the Common Core State Standards:
1. They give students equal opportunities
No matter what state, city or town students live in, the Common Core gives them the opportunity to learn the same information and build the same skills as their peers across the country. Ideally, this gives every student the same opportunities when it comes to going to college or pursuing a career after graduation. With the Common Core's focus on college and career readiness, this equalization should give students who may not have considered going to college an even footing with those who have always planned on attending. While this is not always the case, the Common Core hopes to help students learn the same skills and be prepared to meet the same college or career expectations.
2. They provide measurable and coherent goals
The Common Core State Standards were written by an array of educators and experts to provide measurable and achievable objectives for students in each grade level. The Standards are detailed and specific, which means they leave little room for confusion. According to Stanford University, having measurable standards keeps educators and school systems accountable and allows them to figure out which teaching methods work best to effectively teach students. But that's not the only merit of having a set of teachers and education experts involved in writing them – the Standards are also purposefully coherent from one grade to the next, giving students a natural progression from concept to concept in both mathematics and English/language arts.
3. They focus on building skills
One aspect of the Common Core that separates it from past education standards is its focus on building skills, rather than simply learning information by rote. In other words, students should no longer be graded solely on getting the right answer. Instead, the Common Core wants educators to focus on how students arrived at the answer. What problem solving, critical thinking or reasoning was involved to reach the solution? Focusing on building these skills helps students become more autonomous in their future education and in life.
No comments yet.