The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are coming, which makes some educators nervous. While the CCSS implementation process is sure to be challenging for many school districts, officials from the Quincy Public Schools district in Illinois are not filled with as much trepidation, the Quincy Herald-Whig reported.
Jody Steinke, Quincy High School's principal, told the news source that part of the concern around the transition to the CCSS may be tied to misconceptions surrounding the Standards. For instance, some English teachers think that classic literature is being replaced by nonfiction texts that are more informational in nature. However, he stressed that the Common Core do not provide a curriculum.
"It's a set of skills that kids need at each grade level," Steinke said. "It doesn't say, 'sophomores have to read Huck Finn and juniors have to read something else.' It still leaves it open for local choice. It's the required skills that are non-negotiable here."
According to the CCSS' website, there will be a greater focus on informational texts in grades K-12. For example, kindergarteners will learn how to ask and answer questions about unfamiliar words that appear in this content. Meanwhile, students in the ninth and twelfth grades will be expected to analyze the ways in which authors lay out ideas in their work.
No comments yet.