COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 1

Emily Eisert
May 11, 2015
eeisert@linfield.edu
Final Paper

PROPOSED TOPIC: Common Core State Standards

PROPOSED QUESTION: Should all states be required to adapt the Common Core State

Standards in order to ensure every state has the same, high level of expectations for their

education?

REVISED QUESTION: Should all states be required to adapt the Common Core State Standards

for elementary education in order to ensure that each state has the same level of expectations for

its students?

Table of Contents
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 2

Preface3

Abstract..7

Introduction8

State Adoption..10

Higher Expectations and College Readiness....11

Parental and Community Understanding..13

Classroom and Teacher Challenges..14

Special Circumstance Students.16

Assessment17

Conclusion18

References20
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 3

Preface

I heard about Info Gathering before I even started my Freshman year at Linfield. As

excited as I was about being a mass communication major, I was not looking forward to the class

that everyone said would inevitably make me cry. As I walked my first long walk from T.J. Day

to the library on the first day of the semester, my stomach was in knots; I was already dreading

what was to come. I was prepared for sleepless nights, having my writing torn apart and even

shedding a few tears. What I wasnt thinking about was how much I would learn in one class or

how accomplished I would feel by the end of the semester.

This class taught me quite a bit about grammar. I am slightly embarrassed to say that I did

not really know the difference between then and than before this class. I am not sure how I

made it 20 years without figuring out the difference, but I am happy to say I now know that then

is in reference to time. I also came to the realization that I use than more often than (see, there

it is!) I ever thought I would. Honestly, it may have been the OMG I received on multiple

papers that made me finally decide I had to know the difference. I will now always be extra

careful when using those words, so thank you professor Thompson for saving me from

embarrassment in my future job!

Another one of my biggest struggles while in this class was that a state is an it not a

they. This turned out to be a semester long struggle for me as I was constantly fighting the urge

to write they. Theys kept continuing to sneak in no matter how hard I tried to resist, but I

think that I finally figured it out. If anything, my continuous grammar mistakes taught me to

really focus while I write. I often tend to just start typing and not focus on my grammar, but
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 4

because I had to catch myself when it came to they versus it, I started to pay better attention.

This leads to one of my biggest struggles of the entire semester. editing!

I have never been a big fan of reading back through my work. Once Im done writing it,

why do I have to read back through it? Ill tell you why, having dumb typos like it it is just too

easy to avoid if you read back through your paper. One read through and those simple mistakes

disappear, a second read through and everything becomes tighter. This is how you become a

better writer. Unfortunately, this is something I didnt learn until later in the semester and is still

something I am working on. Giving yourself enough time to edit is also important and boy did I

learn about time management this semester.

I have always been the kind of person who likes to stay busy and involved. When I was

younger, this led me to be more on top of things and always get my work done early, but then I

learned about this terrible, terrible thing called procrastination. I am not going to say I have been

cured of this terrible disease, but I will say that I have become a lot more aware of how I spend

my time. Time management was especially important for me over spring break. When we were

told at the beginning of the semester that hopefully we didnt have any big spring break plans, I

immediately thought about the fact that I would be spending it in Alaska. Without wifi. I knew

that this would definitely be a challenge for me so I prepared as best as I could. Unfortunately, I

did not prepare enough because even though I was working on Info Gathering almost every night

while everyone was watching a movie after our long days of work, I was still behind by the time

we arrived back at school. I was determined to finish the assignment and while I did complete all

seven annotations, it was not my best work. This taught me that I need to plan ahead as much as

possible (especially if I wont have wifi!).

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 5

Discussing those seven annotations brings me to my next point, my research. At the

beginning of the semester I had no idea what I wanted to research. I spent hours trying to come

up with my topic and find the sources I needed for my topic proposal. I am amazed at how long

it took me to find my sources and write that proposal. I could probably research and write a

complete annotation in the time it took me to pick my topic. I am grateful for how far I have

come in my research skills. Although I remember learning about research databases in INQS, I

had not put those skills into practice until Info Gathering. A whole new world of possibilities

opened up after I met with Susan to learn about research techniques and databases. The amount

of time I spent digging through articles and journals significantly decreased once I learned how

to effectively do my research.

I had been told prior to beginning this class that I needed to pick a topic that I liked and

that I would be interested in for the whole semester. This was one of the reasons it took me so

long to select a topic. I eventually settled on education and lucky for me, I remained interested in

it the entire semester. The topic that I chose is something that is constantly changing and

developing. Just a few weeks ago, Oregon schools began their testing on the Common Core State

Standards and are continuing to do so even now. Because I chose a confusing and ever-changing

topic, I cant say I was ever without information to gather.

This class was definitely challenging and I am not sure I have ever dedicated so much

time and energy to one class. I would not have been able to accomplish everything I did without

the help of some awesome people. I would like to thank all of the people I interviewed while

doing my research. They were all so kind and helpful throughout this process. I would also like

to thank them for emailing me back when it seemed like no one was going to (seriously, I dont

know how many people I reached out to who were unable to do an interview or didnt even email
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 6

me back). I would like to thank my parents for letting me call them to have a freak out moment

when it finally hit me how much work I had to get done and how little time I had to do it. I

would also like to thank anyone I ever complained to about this class, who were willing to sit

there and listen to me talk about what seemed like endless amounts of work while still managing

to look somewhat interested. I would like to thank Susan and Professor Thompson, because

without both of you I would not have known how to do effective research or know the difference

between then and than, two things I can guarantee I will use throughout my life. I would also

like to thank you for all of your feedback. I truly believe it has made me a better writer. And last,

but certainly not least, I would like to thank all the Info Gathering students who came before me

for scaring the living daylights out of me before I took this class. Although it came close, this

class was not as terrifyingly hard as they made it out to be (luckily, when you expect the worst, it

usually turns out better than you expect!).

Abstract
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 7

This paper discusses the national education standards, particularly the Common Core

State Standards. The common core was created to make students more competitive

internationally and to be better prepared for higher education through more rigorous standards.

The common core has been adopted by most states, but some have decided to implement their

own revised standards. The standards have higher expectations than previous ones and aim to

help students become college-ready. Parental and community understanding of the common core

is vital to the success of students. Material is taught in a new way which is challenging for

students, parents and teachers. Although the standards aim to create educational equality

throughout the country, there are students with special needs that may not be met. Assessment

based on the standards is beginning and although some states have had a drop in proficiency, the

standards are still new and being implemented. There should be a set of national standards for

elementary age students to allow for more student mobility, equal education opportunities and to

better prepare all students for their future endeavors.

Introduction
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 8

The Common Core State Standards were created in an attempt to create equality among

students throughout the country. The education standards were designed to make students more

internationally competitive as well as to be better prepared for higher education and an eventual

career. The common core has been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia (National

Education Association, 2015). The standards provide students with clear expectations of what

they will learn in each grade, which will prepare them for the next grade.

The Common Core State Standards also provide students with academic mobility. This

means that a student is able to move to a different state in the middle of the academic year and

will be learning the same material and have the same expectations (OLeary, 2015). Prior to the

common core there was a large education gap between standards. The expectations of one state

was far lower than another state and this led to educational inequality throughout the country

(Conley, 2014).

The Common Core State Standards were created in response to changes in society. It was

no longer realistic to assume that people will live in the same community their whole lives.

People used to stay in the community they were born in and get the education necessary to be

successful in that specific community. People are more mobile today and move for careers and

education. The standards provide an equal opportunity for students to get the same education and

not be inhibited by the community they grew up in (Conley 2014).

While it is important for students to be academically competitive against other students in

the United States, it is also important for students to be competitive internationally. The common

core is designed to make this happen. The developers of the common core, the National

Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers,

designed the common core to align with the standards of countries that are most competitive in
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 9

the global market and have the highest standards for education. Having standards that are

competitive with other countries allows students to be more successful in the global economy

and overall society (Kendall, 2011). The standards create equal opportunities for students to get

the education needed to be successful in other countries.

The standards provide a strong academic base for students to succeed, but the standards

are not perfect. The Common Core State Standards are supported by businesses and

philanthropists with little input from educators. This is an issue because the standards are meant

for education and educators voices are not heard in the development process of the standards

(Harris, 2015). Because the standards have not been developed by or had substantial input from

educators, many states find that they do not fit with the academic needs of the state. This makes

it difficult to have a set of national standards because not all states are willing to adopt them.

The effectiveness of the Common Core State Standards have been greatly disputed.

While many states have found that the standards do not align with the needs of their students,

there are many benefits to having a set of national standards. There should be a set of national

standards to allow students to be more competitive internationally, have academic mobility and

to better prepare all students for higher education beginning in elementary school.

This paper will discuss the Common Core State Standards and their effects on students. It

will also discuss the development of the common core and the implementation and assessment of

the standards in elementary schools. It will also examine why having a set of high national

standards that prepares students for college is important while also examining the success of

states that adopted the common core and states that have opted out of it.

State Adoption
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 10

Not all states have adopted the Common Core State Standards and many states that have

are deciding to make some adjustments and rename the standards. The changes that are being

made in states that have decided to implement new standards are not drastic but rather better fit

the needs of that specific state (Ujifusa, 2014). The Common Core State Standards are

copyrighted so if a state wants to make any changes, however small, they have to rename the

standards. This has led to many states creating committees to reassess what the academic goals

of that state are and how they align with the common core. If they do not align, the state must

decide what changes need to be made.

The North Carolina Standards Review Commission (2015) reviewed the common core,

discovered improvements that could be made and identified ways in which the commission could

best revise the standards. The three main shortcomings of the common core as identified by the

commission were that the standards needed to be simplified, developmentally appropriate for all

grades and more flexible for teachers. With these needs identified, the commission was able to

create a plan of action on how to best make these changes. They were able to identify how by

discussing with other states that steered away from the common core and looking at other

countries with stronger education standards.

Other states have identified different problems with the common core. Representatives in

South Carolina say that a national education standards do not allow parents to have a say in their

childrens education. They also say that other states should not have any control over South

Carolinas education standards (Banchero, 2012). South Carolina says that the needs of one state

may be different than another, and if both have the same standards it may not be mutually

beneficial. Another state should not have influence on the academic needs of another state.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 11

Although many states have developed standards different than the common core, many have

adopted and implemented them.

Kentucky was the first state to adopt the common core which gave other states an idea as

to how successful the standards can be (Butymowicz, 2013). During the first assessment of the

common core, Kentucky students did not show any increase in proficiency, which was an

indication as to how students in other states may do. Although there was not an increase in

proficiency, it is too early to tell whether these standards will eventually lead to higher

proficiency in the future. Kentucky was the first state to fully implement and assess the

standards, so the results were based off of trial assessments. Some states took this information

and decided that improvements within the standards needed to be made in order for students to

be successful. Although some states have decided to opt out of the Common Core State

Standards, many are making minimal changes and, therefore, are still somewhat aligned with the

common core.

High Expectations and College Readiness

The Common Core State Standards, which beginning in elementary school, enforce high

expectations for students that should better prepare them for college. The standards cover fewer

topics but do so more in-depth. This allows students to better understand the concepts they are

learning and provides more opportunities for critical thinking (Chang, 2013). When students are

required to answer how they came to the solution of a problem rather than just what the final

answer is, they are more likely to understand the material they are learning. Having students

focus on fewer topics is different than previous state standards that covered more topics with less

depth (Rothman, 2013). Although students may be covering less material in the classroom, they

are learning what is necessary for them to be successful later in their education. The standards
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 12

streamline the expectations of students to only have them learn what is necessary. This means

that teachers must go more in-depth with their teaching and students must fully understand what

they are learning before they can move on to new material.

It is vital that students learn strong mathematic skills while in elementary school in order

to be prepared for college-level courses (Wilson, 2011). Students often enter college and are not

prepared for the rigor and lack the necessary skills to be successful. Wilson says that students are

not learning the necessary arithmetic skills or how to use these skills before college. Students

begin to learn this arithmetic and how to apply it in elementary school with the common core. An

example of this is when students are taught how to do problem-solving in the third grade. They

are required to use their arithmetic skills to find the answer and then be able to explain how they

got it (Chehalem Elementary, 2015). These mathematical standards are called the standards for

mathematical content and the standards for mathematical practice (Wilson & Downs, 2014).

These makes it so students have a solid understanding of what they are doing and why, which

will be helpful to them once they reach college level courses.

Utah reviewed its previous standards and found that the new standards are far more

rigorous and better prepare students for higher education (Standards Review Committee, 2015).

Even though Utah is developing their own standards rather than implementing the Common Core

State Standards, it is still making sure that the standards that it is developing have higher

expectations than previous standards. This is the goal of the common core. States are reviewing

the standards they have in place and adjusting them to have higher expectations. Although they

may not all be using the common core, most states are creating standards that are similar to the

common core. A uniform set of rigorous standards helps to prepare students for higher education

and also provides equal opportunity for students across the country (Hartman, 2015).
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 13

Although it is important for students to be challenged, there are some concerns that the

standards may not be developmentally appropriate for all students, particularly those in early

grades such as kindergarten and first grade (Harris, 2015). According to the North Carolina

Standards Review Commission (2015), the standards do not align with the results from research

on childhood cognitive development in early childhood education, which means the standards

may not be developmentally appropriate for students in the early stages of their lives. To ensure

student success, the standards must be developmentally appropriate for students in every grade.

If they are not ready to learn the material they are being taught, they will not be able to retain the

information and it will not be useful to them later in their academic career. Although there are

some concerns about how academically rigorous the standards are, the Common Core State

Standards provide older students with high expectations that will prepare them for college.

Parental and Community Understanding

Parents can have a difficult time understanding the Common Core State Standards

because the expectations are different from their own schooling. To remedy this, schools are

hosting parent nights to help them better understand the material their student is learning in the

classroom. The goal of these nights is to make it possible for parents to help their children with

their homework (Layton, 2014). These information nights can help parents get a better

understanding of what their children are learning and how they can help their children, but there

are some challenges with these nights because it can be difficult to get parents to attend them.

OLeary (2015) said that only one parent was present at the last session at her school. It can be

challenging to get parents to attend these nights, and they can only be as successful as the parents

make them. When parents do not attend these information sessions, it only adds to the confusion
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 14

many already have about the common core. This is why it is important for organizations such as

the National Parent Teacher Association (2013) to provide information.

The NPTA encourages parents to get involved in their childrens education by talking to

their childrens teachers. The NPTA provides a document that tells parents what to ask their

childrens teachers at each grade and what the important concepts their students are learning at

that time. Hartman (2015) says that it is the job of the school board to help the community

understand what the common core is and why it is being implemented in the schools. Parents

need to be informed about the Common Core State Standards in order to understand why their

children may not be doing as well as they did with the previous standards. They need to know

that the standards are more challenging than the previous ones and that schools are still in an

adjustment period (Harris, 2015). When parents understand how the standards are different from

the old ones, they are more likely to understand why their children are not performing as well

academically. Community and parent understanding of the common core is important in order for

students to succeed with the new standards. Many parents have problems with the standards

because they have not been fully educated about them and do not understand that it is still a trial

period.

Classroom and Teacher Challenges

Students are learning material in different ways than before and teachers must learn new

curriculum while implementing it into their classroom. Student participation is valued more with

the common core than it was with previous standards. Students have to explain their thought

process when asked to participate in class. In a third grade classroom at Chehalem Elementary

(2015), which uses the common core, the teacher asked for participation during a problem

demonstration. The teacher also asked for an explanation of why and how the student arrived at
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 15

their answer. This allowed students to be interactive with their work and further develop their

critical thinking skills. This kind of student-centered education gives students opportunities to

find answers themselves (Wilson & Downs, 2014).

For teachers to be successful in the classroom, they need time to learn about the

implementation of the standards. It can be challenging for teachers to find this time because they

are implementing the standards in their classrooms while still learning about them. The Lake

Oswego School District is working to give teachers this time (Hartman, 2015). School gets out

early every Thursday to allow teachers time to collaborate. The school year will also be starting

early this year to allow for more classroom time so students have more of an opportunity to meet

the expectations for their grade. Carrie Munger (2015) said that one of the biggest challenges she

is facing in the classroom is having enough time to get through all the material her students are

supposed to learn. She says that she will not move on with a new lesson until all of her students

understand the concepts. If they dont get through all the material by the end of the year, her

students will be behind for the next year. Munger says that it is taking more time to teach her

students the material because of how recently the standards were implemented. She says that

students who begin with the common core from the beginning of their schooling will be able to

learn the material faster. Although there are challenges within the classroom in regards to the

common core, the new way of teaching may lead to greater student success in the future. Student

involvement and participation in the learning process leads to stronger and more independent

thinking that will help prepare students for higher education.

Special Circumstance Students

The Common Core State Standards are a broad set of expectations that do not always

take students with special circumstances into consideration. These special circumstances include
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 16

students who have been identified as gifted and students from rural communities. In a study of

208 children, 45 were determined to be gifted and 163 were general education students (Kettler,

2014). The study showed that there was not a significant difference in the critical thinking skills

between gifted students and general education students, but the gifted students outperformed the

general education students. The standards work to create academic equality amongst students,

which can be a problem for gifted students if they feel they are not being challenged enough, or

for students who cannot learn the material fast enough and are not able to meet the expectations

for the grade. Although this is a concern, there is not a significant difference between gifted

students and general education students. With the higher expectations for all students, the gifted

students should still feel challenged.

Gifted students are not the only ones with specific needs. Students in rural communities

have different needs than those in cities and suburbs. Schools in rural communities are often

consolidated because the schools do not perform as well. When the schools are consolidated, it

makes it more challenging for students to get to school. This leads to less success for students in

this area. Education reformers need to look at what the needs in rural communities are and adjust

the standards to fit those needs (Butler, 2014). It is important that the common core does not

create too much of a challenge for students in these areas and that they are able to be successful.

Students in rural areas tend to stay in the same community they grew up in once they graduate

high school. This can lead to less of them pursuing careers different than those typically done in

their area. The standards need to encourage students in these areas to be more mobile and have

equal educational opportunities so they can pursue a career of their choosing. In order for

students across the county to do well with a set of national standards, all needs must be taken

into consideration including gifted students and students from all different community settings.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 17

Assessment

Students are beginning to be tested on the new standards and many states are seeing a

drop in proficiency levels. The Smarter Balance tests are being used to assess what students have

learned in the classroom. These tests require more computer skills than previous assessment

tests, which makes them difficult for elementary age children. Some students take much longer

than the expected time to finish their tests because of their limited computer skills (OLeary,

2015). The Smarter Balance tests require students to do more than just click a multiple choice

answer, they are required to be more interactive with their assessments and show their critical

thinking skills by doing things such as highlighting text. Deb Shaver, a reading coach at

Firewood Elementary, says that previous standards did not accurately reflect real life because life

is not a set of multiple choice answers (Hammond, 2015). The more interactive the tests are, the

better it represents real life and shows what a student has learned. There is less of an opportunity

for students to guess the answers because they have to be able to show their thinking in order to

get the answer correct.

Some states have found that many students are not meeting proficiency on these

assessments. This may have to do with the more advanced computer skills that are now

necessary, or the more difficult questions being asked. Oregon unsuccessfully tried to postpone

the assessment to help students be better prepared and be more successful when they took the test

(Hammond, 2015). It is important for students and parents to understand that this is the first

assessment of the Common Core State Standards and they are still being implemented in the

schools. These first assessments reflect the fact that the standards are still a work-in-progress

(Harris, 2015). Some states have experienced a drop in test scores because students and teachers
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 18

are still adjusting to the new standards and assessment. Once these problems are worked out,

there should be an increase in student proficiency on the assessments.

Conclusion

The Common Core State Standards are still being implemented and revised by some

states. These states then have to determine if they want to implement the standards. Although

there are some issues that need to be worked out before the common core can be completely

successful, having a set of national standards can allow for students to get an equal education

that will help them be prepared for higher education. The common core aims to make students

more internationally competitive which will prepare them to work in a global market. By giving

students the ability to move to another school and sill be on track will help both students and

teachers. Having an overall more rigorous curriculum that will prepare students for higher

education and their future careers will benefit students throughout their lives. There should be a

national set of standards for elementary schools throughout the country. Elementary school

provides the base for a students education and a good education at this point in their lives can

lead to future success. National standards may not be a one-size-fits-all states situation, but all

states should have similar requirements and expectations for students. High expectations and

equal opportunity for all children is important for every community in the United States and

should therefore be implemented into every school.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 19

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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 21

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