Common Core

The common core is a set of educational standards placed in order for teachers to ensure that their students have the proper skills and knowledge needed to achieve success. They are clear goals implemented to guarantee that all students, no matter where they are from or live, are equipped for success in postsecondary education and the workforce. The common core standards will ensure that all students are receiving the proper high quality education in which they deserve consistently no matter what school or state they are in. 

The common core educational standards were created for teachers to be on the same page and aware of the knowledge and skills the students should obtain through their educational journey. They are also used to enforce teachers to create the best lessons and build the best environment for learning throughout their classroom. The common core was also created to help students and parents understand the clear goals that were instructed for realistic success and achievement. The standards applied are the first step towards providing teachers, students, and parents with a roadmap for future academic success. 

The common core originated to establish a clarified set of educational standards for English language arts and mathematics to be shared amongst various states and school districts. These standards have been designed by teachers, parents, and school administrators using the best evidence of academic success in hopes to create a program that will aspire students. The common core also dictates the academic level that students should have obtained when they graduate high school in order to prepare for college or the workforce. The standards were implemented in order to ensure that every child across the country was given an equal opportunity to succeed. Although the common core surfaced to reach the highest achievement level for students, the standards cannot enhance the quality of the nation’s educational system immediately. Instead the standards act as a guideline for educators to share goals and expectations for their students amongst one another. The common core standards created will permit participating states from all over the country to work together to identify the expectations that are necessary. For one, the goals for students will be clear to the parents, teachers, and the general public continuously. The standards also state that the development of textbooks, digital media, and other materials necessary by the teacher will be highly encouraged. The development of comprehensive assessments to measure the students’ performance against the common core state standards will be implemented in order to replace existing styles of testing. Testing styles are often inconsistent, burdensome, and confusing at times, which is why the common core standards are pushing for new techniques to assess students.

The common core state standards are being sponsored by parents, teachers, school administrators, experts, and state leaders across the country through their membership in the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) as well as the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). The CCSSO and the NGA Center have provided the public with time periods in order for everyone to comment and submit feedback on the standards that were drafted. The comments and feedback will be incorporated into the final standards, in order for everyone to have their own say and voice heard. In order to ensure that the process of creating these standards is open, comprehensive, and demanding, there are several committees that have dedicated their time and help. These committees include the Standards Development Work Group, which is responsible for determining and writing the common core state standards, the Feedback group, which provides information that is supported by research to notify the standards development process through offering expert input on draft documents, and lastly, the Validation Committee, which reviews the common core state standards to ensure that they have meet the development criteria. 

Through the use of the common core, the standards will tremendously impact teachers in numerous ways. First, the standards will dictate their style of teaching in order to ensure that they are preparing their students for success whether it be in college or the workforce. Due to this standard, teachers will have to be creative and develop effective strategies for their students in order to touch upon the benchmarks marked for them. The common core will also help colleges and professional development programs prepare teachers for the changes in the standards.