COMMON CORE CURRICULUM (part 1)
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative in the United States that details what K–12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade.
In the 1990s, the “Standards & Accountability Movement” began in the U.S. as states began writing standards outlining what students were expected to know and to be able to do at each grade level, and also implementing assessments designed to measure whether students were meeting the standards. The initial motivation for the development of the Common Core State Standards was part of the American Diploma Project (ADP).
A 2004 report, titled Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma That Counts, found that both employers and colleges are demanding more of high school graduates than in the past. In fact, according to one report, put out, current high-school exit expectations fall well short of employer and college demands.” The report explained that the major problem currently facing the American school system is that high school graduates were not provided with the skills and knowledge they needed to succeed in college and careers. “While students and their parents may still believe that the diploma reflects adequate preparation for the intellectual demands of adult life, in reality it falls far short of this common-sense goal.” The report suggested that the diploma itself lost its value because graduates were unable to compete successfully beyond high school, and that the solution to this problem is a common set of rigorous standards.
In 2009, a group got together to develop a group of standards in the area of mathematics and literacy. On June 1, 2009, the initiative’s stated their purpose is to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.”Additionally, “The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers,” which should place American students in a position in which they can compete in a global economy.
