The Common Core State Standards for math have certainly altered the way educators teach the subject. Some parents, teachers and students feel the new math Standards are too rigorous and confusing, but others note that they just take a different approach. The Common Core creators assert that the math Standards simply go more in depth than previous benchmarks. Rather than the "inch deep and mile wide" approach of previous math standards, the Common Core uses the inverse format, "an inch wide and mile deep." This seems to have caused a unique situation in schools. Some parents feel their student isn't learning fast enough and must also complete more challenging work.
A community pushes back
According to the San Jose Mercury News, members of the Palo Alto Unified School District in California aren't happy with the way math is taught in their schools. Some parents and administrators in the area have noted concern over the pace of Common Core math. Because students learn fewer concepts, but more in depth, parents fear their kids won't have the opportunity to learn calculus before they graduate high school. The subject, though optional for many students in the U.S., offers a competitive advantage when it comes to applying to colleges.
"Our community feels more comfortable with the traditional approach," Katherine Baker, an administrator in the high-performing Palo Alto Unified School District, told the source.
Despite parental and administrative concerns, math experts and supporters of the Common Core maintain that the in-depth but slower approach is important. Students need to fully grasp the basics before moving on. The Common Core also emphasizes that students need to understand why they use the math formulas they do, not just follow a plug-and-chug method.
Reconciling the issue
The Standards were created with international educational benchmarks in mind. By having students learn in this new way, they'll (hopefully) be on par with students around the world. As such, the new approach to math education is an important step. However, concerns of students forfeiting an advantage in securing a spot in college are valid. How can students learn in-depth math while still progressing quickly?
Perhaps the answer isn't that math education needs to accelerate, but that colleges need to alter expectations. Without pressure from universities for students to reach calculus, parents and administrators may rest easy knowing students are fully understanding math and have a shot at their top-choice school. Of course, such a shift would require the Common Core to be fully established in schools.
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