What Parents Need to Know About the Push for National Standards

So many people have similar stories of their children being at the top of their class at one school but then fall behind at another. Now, not only have they fallen behind, but it is difficult for them to catch up. This is what many educators around the nation hoped the academic standards for the common core subjects of math and English would address.

The National Governor’s Association looked to other countries for guidance. Countries such as Finland, Netherlands, and New Zealand outperform just about every country in academia. The new standards were introduced around this time in 2010. 48 out of 50 states are currently committed to the helping effort and work of incorporating the rules.

There are two main reasons for the push for national standards:

• Help increasingly mobile families. As more families follow job opportunities around the country, it is more common for a child to start a school in one state and end his education in another. This a allows children the opportunity to continue their education regardless of where they are and without falling behind because of it.
• Fill the need for 21st Century skills. The recommendations for common standards in math and English also focus on developing a new set of skills and knowledge that kids will need to know, which were not included in many state standards previously.

The central idea behind the common academic standards is to cut through the countless standards in math and English and implement easier to follow, fewer, and higher standards. Education experts are excited about the new standards, describing it as “This sets a high bar for all the states. It’s time we got together as a nation and came up with standards across the country”. The implementation process began with the adoption of the standards, creating assessments/ testing and revising curriculum that will lead students toward the new goals. It is about changing what goes on in classrooms; it’s more than memorization drills for students and educators.

The process toward new standards has become a growing frustration for many. Parents play a significant role in helping their children transition and meet the new standards.

Here are a few things parents can do to remain active:

• Read the standards and offer feedback. The standards are available at www.corestandards.org, and anyone can fill out a survey to leave comments and suggestions.
• Also, While we may not like it, the common core standards are here to stay. My new book, Monster Mas Vs. The Test give kids the tools they need to conquer the common core assessments.

 

What has been your family’s experience with the common core standards?