Common Core Standards coming under increased scrutiny

An important education issue that has largely flown under the radar is now getting new attention, as more questions are arising concerning proposed Common Core Standards for America’s schools.

Alabama is one of 47 states which have adopted Common Core Standards, shared curriculum and testing standards among the states that would provide for a more uniform approach to education. Supporters say adopting shared tests among the states would make it easier to make an apples-to-apples comparison among states.

While shared curriculum and testing standards may have commonsense appeal, there are a variety of criticisms of the plan. A growing chorus of activists and educators say Common Core Standards are an unconstitutional power grab by the federal government, will lower standards in high-performing states, reduce democratic participation and accountability in education matters and may unfairly give the edge in supplying tests and test preparation materials to a select group of companies.

“If you liked No Child Left Behind, you’ll like Common Core Standards,” said Betty Peters, an Alabama State School Board member. “It’s No Child Left Behind on steroids.”

Peters was one of two state school board members who voted against adopting the Common Core Standards in November 2010. Peters said the issue largely escaped public scrutiny because it was wrapped in the Race to the Top grant program and because of preoccupation with budget and other issues.

Peters said the Common Core Standards were an unconstitutional attempt by the federal government to impose a national curriculum.

The federal government did not draft the standards, nor is it overtly seeking to force them on states. The standards were developed by the Common Core Standards Initiative, which was in turn was created by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association. States are free to adopt them or not.

While the federal government isn’t forcing the standards upon states, it is providing powerful incentives for states to adopt them. A major requirement for securing federal Race to the Top grant money is participation in the Common Core Standards. Alabama missed out on the first round and second rounds of Race to the Top funding. Lack of charter schools and common core standards, among other factors, were blamed for the loss.

Peters said the powerful financial inducements offered by the government to states to adopt the standards equated to requiring states to adopt the standards.

With regard to the rigor of the standards, critics of Common Core Standards argue that they are of lower quality than those of the highest performing states.

“The concern is that uniform standards will lead to a race to the middle,” said Jamie Gass, a spokesperson for the Pioneer Institute, which supports conservative school reforms such as school choice and free market principles.

The Southern Regional Education Board finds that it’s a wash with regard to whether the Common Core Standards are better than Alabama’s current standards.

In a recent evaluation, the organization gave the Common Core Standards a B+ for English and language arts and an A- for math. Alabama’s current standards received a B in English and language arts and a B+ in math.

The SREB says nationwide only two states, California and Indiana, had demonstrably superior standards for English and language arts and none had higher math standards.

The Alabama Education Association supports Common Core Standards but wants input on the implementation of the standards. Tyna D. Davis, AEA manager of education policy and professional practice, says the AEA wants teachers to have a greater role in implementation, and wants the state to properly fund training necessary to get educators up to speed on the new standards.

“Teachers need to have their hands on it and see how it aligns with their practice and how things were done in the past,” she said.

Another concern detractors of the Common Core standards have is the influence private organizations have on their development and implementation. According to a recent New York Times article, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated millions to the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association and strongly support the development of Common Core Standards.