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Education is
Failing Us
Jackson Anderson period:7
History Behind Our Current Education
System
Our current education system is
formally known as the ¨Common
Core¨ standards. A system created
with the intention to up the
standards and raise student
knowledge and testing scores.
Within the last few years it has
seemingly appeared out of nowhere,
A major part of Common Core is
but has been in the works since at something called the No Child Left
least 2008. The idea was first started Behind Act. It basically promotes
by former Arizona Governor standardized testing that every
Janet Napolitano. student is required to take, and only
allowed to focus on specific
information. There is a big focus on
keeping everyone up to speed, even to
the extent of holding other students
back.
Potential Pros To Common Core
Pros:
1. It creates national consistency. Beforehand, states could decide
themselves what should be me mandatory to learn but now going from one
state to another will show less differences
2. School districts now do not have to spend extra money on making tests.
Now each state can share the same tests and curriculum rather than make
their own
3. It has created a professional network of development for teachers and
administration. Now there is a wider source for assistance if a teacher ever
needs it
4. Learning is now based on empirical methods. Meaning that students can no
longer just present the final answer without demonstrating how they came
to that conclusion. They must defend their answer to prevent cheating
The Cons to Common Core
Cons:
1. It has forced the teachers to teach based off of student performance
rather than learning. Meaning students are praised more for their
accomplishment of a certain test grade rather than the
understanding of the concept
2. Teacher salaries depend on test results, meaning the more perfectly
students know specific answers, the higher the teachers get paid
3. Textbooks have been updated for the new curriculum. And with
new, bizzare ways to solve simple problems(Ex. right→), it pushed
many experienced teachers away from this career path
4. With most states having been forced to switch curricula. Many of
which whom had higher and more rigid educational standards, have
been pushed backwards in learning quality to become more
consistent with the rest of the country
Current Test Scores Vs Past Test Scores
Ayres, Crystal. “18 Big Common Core Pros and Cons.” Vittana.org,
vittana.org/18-big-common-core-pros-and-cons.
Fisher, Jessica. “Common Core Math Is Confusing.” Life As Mom, 31 Jan. 2018,
lifeasmom.com/common-core-math-is-confusing/.
Gewertz, Catherine. “Math Scores Slide to a 20-Year Low on ACT.” Education Week, 20 Feb. 2019,
www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/10/17/math-scores-slide-to-a-20-year-low.html.
Ravitch, Dianne. “Why We're Behind: a Report by Common Core.” Grantmakers in the Arts,
www.giarts.org/article/why-were-behind-report-common-core.
McCluskey, Neal. “Common Core Doesn't Seem To Be Working; That May Be Just Fine.” Forbes, Forbes
Magazine, 18 Oct. 2018,
www.forbes.com/sites/nealmccluskey/2018/10/18/common-core-doesnt-seem-to-be-working-that-may-be-just-fi
ne/#30d315176993.