The Common Core State Standards' mission statement says the CCSS provide students with knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and their careers. However, there are those who do not believe the Standards go far enough. Gary Troia, an associate professor of special education at Michigan State University, is among them.
In fact, Troia considers the current state of writing instruction in the U.S. to be "abysmal." The associate professor believes that the CCSS are strong in some areas of writing instruction, but leave a lot to be desired in others.
"When you look at writing instruction in the K-12 classroom, it's still pretty abysmal," Troia said. "Teachers are generally not adapting instruction for struggling writers and most students struggle with writing if you look at national test scores."
There are a few things educators can do to turn things around, in Troia's opinion. For instance, he recommends a new perspective on teacher professional development. Troia thinks that training needs to be comprehensive and focused on addressing classroom needs.
At the same time, Troia advises teachers to improve their writing instruction by consulting with fellow educators who have experience in research writing, such as school psychologists and special educators.
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