The Common Core State Standards are supposed to be fully implemented during the 2014-15 school year in all schools located in states that have adopted the CCSS. Though some districts are still working toward that goal, the Standards have become a staple of educational news. Despite that, not everyone is well-informed about the Common Core. In light of full implementation and lack of awareness, here are five facts about the Standards everyone should know:
1. The overarching goal is to prepare students for college and careers
The Common Core addresses issues the U.S. has had with preparing kids for college and careers. According to a study from the Alliance for Excellent Education, the U.S. spends about $5.6 billion a year on college remediation, or students retaking courses because they didn't learn the information well enough in K-12. Most of that money ($3.6 billion) comes from students paying for the remedial college courses, and the rest ($2 billion) comes from students losing money they could have earned from work. In light of these statistics, the Common Core seeks to ensure students won't have to retake classes.
2. The Standards serve as stairs toward graduation
Each school year brings students one step closer to graduation by building their knowledge. The content they learned one year is expanded upon and analyzed more in-depth the next year. The design is meant to ensure students grasp a core concept before moving on, preventing them from falling behind.
3. Subject education is deep, not wide
Old educational standards attempted to provide students with a lot of content, which they learned at a shallow level. This approach did not help students truly understand the information to the extent they could, so the Standards made an alteration. Instead of teaching a lot of surface-level information, Common Core educators provide a deep look at fewer (but very important) concepts.
4. Literacy is part of most subjects
While reading and writing are key aspects of English/language arts instruction, the skills can also be part of other subjects. For instance, social studies, history and science classes all provide students with plenty of challenging material to read and interesting topics about which to write. For this reason, the Common Core outlines literacy Standards for these subjects.
5. The Standards are internationally competitive
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers, which created the Standards, developed the Common Core based, in part, on educational standards used around the world. This, and research, helped form the basis for the benchmarks. Because the Common Core has elements of learning used internationally, it helps students stay on par with their peers across the globe.
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