Please respond to the following discussion questions, discussion responses should be at least 2-3 pages long with citations:

Discussion #1

As a result of the debate on Common Core State Standards, I am convinced that teachers are not being offered enough support on implementing the standards. Teachers reported that generally, they are being offered one or two day workshops that do not begin to give them the tools they will need to comprehend, not to mention implement, the standards on a daily basis. Teachers are expected to change how and what they teach, but are not being offered any real alternatives to what they already do. Resources are often not available because of funding which means that teachers do not have the materials they deem necessary for proper implementation. According to a study by Education Next (2015), 56% of parents and teachers who responded to the study said that in their view CCSS had negatively impacted schools, while 28% believed CCSS had a positive impact on schools.

I continue to have many questions about the implementation of Common Core, but the main question I had before participating in this discussion is related to students and families choosing to opt out of the tests that are supposed to measure whether or not students know and are able to do what the standards deem necessary for college and career readiness. Michelle Malkin (2015) reports that in the 2014-15 school year over 50% of students opted out of national testing. While this is the choice of the student and family, the choice to opt out could potentially hurt schools by negatively impacting the federal funding attached to national tests.

A concern I have regarding Common Core is that the standards do not indicate what intervention methods or materials will be necessary in order to better serve students that are well below or well above grade level. There appears to be no set of standards that can account for the vast abilities, needs, and achievement levels of all students in a particular grade level. The initiative to push education toward work-force development seems to be leaving out knowledge based standards and pushing toward critical thinking skills. In the process, ELA curriculums are being forced to exclude many literary works of art, and instead focus on "empty skill sets," as Sandra Starsky (2012) states.

By applying the critical analysis and research skills I have accumulated thus far, I can share information I have acquired about Common Core with my colleagues and peers in order to be a good leader in my field. Dr. Brookfield (Laureate Education, 2012) tells us that a true leader will help people learn new skills, knowledge, and areas of information. By constantly learning about what is important to educators, I am better able to argue my position and provide guidance in educational assumptions.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012). The practice of critical reflection [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Malkin, Michelle. (online). Choose to refuse on PARCC/SBAC testing. National Review, January 2015. Retrieved from http://www.nationalreview.com/article/397350/choose-refuse-parccsbac-testing-michelle-malkin.

Stotsky, S. (2012). "Don't Buy the Snake Oil of Common Core," Education News(blog), EducationViews.org. Retrieved on September 15, 2016 from http://educationviews.org/dont-buy-the-snake-oil-of-common-core/#print.

"The 2015 EdNext Poll on School Reform: Public thinking on testing, opt out, common core, unions, and more." Conducted by Michael B. Henderson, Paul E. Peterson, and Martin R. West. Retrieved September 14, 2016 from http://educationnext.org/.

Discussion #2

Introduction

In Discussion One I stated my position on Common Core standards, which is: All students benefit from a state and district adoption of national standards.

After reading many blogs and journal articles and reading my classmates' discussion posts on the success v. problems with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), what is clear is that the problems seem to outweigh the successes. At this point I need to become better informed about the pros and cons of the issue.

Questions

In my Module 2 assignment paper I raised several questions. The first was, what is being done to successfully support teachers in understanding and implementing the Common Core standards? Kentucky has a growing track record of success with CCSS implementation and gives credit to three key elements: communication of the General Assembly's vision to every educator in the state, as well as other stakeholders-with the opportunity to provide feedback in standards development; the formation of leadership networks to work on the alignment of standards and curriculum; and support. To make sure educators received ongoing, on-demand training, the Kentucky Department of Education developed the Continual Instructional Improvement Technology System, or CIITS-an online repository containing thousands of resources to help with Common Core implementation. (Pipkin, 2015)

Secondly, how successful is the implementation of CCSS based on test scores? It was difficult to find a clear answer to this question, in part because there was no "pre-CCSS" state version of Common Core. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for 2009-2013 were examined by the Brown Center (BCR). Fourth grade reading scores improved by 1.11 scale score points in states with strong implementation of CCSS compared to states that did not adopt CCSS. A similar comparison in last year's BCR found a 1.27 point difference on NAEP's eighth grade math test, also in favor of states with strong implementation of CCSS. (Loveless, 2015)

Another question I had was, how are the CCSS being implemented to address special needs? Many states are implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for all teachers, including special education teachers (SETs). Most models make use of a minimum of three tiers of instruction and support, with general education teachers holding the majority of responsibility for core instruction at Tier 1 and SETs delivering intensive, personalized instruction at Tier 3. However, special and general education teachers must enter the classroom better prepared, and the supports in the PK-12 system for building expertise must be amped up. To develop such a system, the field needs to rethink substantially the intellectual and financial resources devoted to SET education, both its practice and the research behind it, and to building systems that can support the ongoing development of teachers. (Leko, Brownell, Sindelar, Kiely, 2015)

A fourth question I posed was about the fear of loss of community influence over what is taught in its schools. I read several blogs focusing on myths vs. facts about Common Core standards. It seems that the loss of autonomy anxiety by some communities can be eased by a better understanding of what the CCSS is all about. This can be done through discussions led by professionals who have the facts on the development, intent, content, and implementation of the standards. (Myths vs. Facts, n.d.)

New Questions

Going forward, I ask what is being done to fully implement CCSS in states and districts that have been dragging their heels. As with any organization, leadership from the top is critical for implementation of any new initiative, especially one as sweeping as the CCSS. What should state education directors and superintendents be doing to ensure successful implementation of Common Core?

What can I do to provide clarification on the Common Core State Standards issues? The answer lies in further research. It will be important to examine the success stories, as well as the issues raised by educators and other stakeholders who are having difficulty with CCSS implementation. What can be done to resolve those problems? The dissenters, who have a large voice and a large audience, have a right to the facts and to clear answers. However, everyone must be open to possibilities that full implementation promises.

References:

Leko, M., Brownell, M., Sindelar, P., Kiely, M. (Oct. 2015). Envisioning the future of special education personnel preparation in a standards-based era. Exceptional Children, 82(1)1,25-43.

Loveless, T. (March 24, 2015). Measuring effects of the Common Core. Brown Center Report, 3(4).
Myths vs. Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved Sept. 12, 2016 from http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/
Pipkin, C. (April 28, 2015). Three keys to Kentucky's Common Core success. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-04-28-three-keys-to-kentucky-s-common-core-success.