The
Common Core State Standards is going to be hitting 46 states and the District
of Columbia for good starting in August.
While many schools have opted in to the new curriculum already for the
2012-2013 school year, everyone will have to be on board in less than half a
year and yet I came across an article in EdWeek titled, “Teachers Say They Are
Unprepared for the Common Core.”
Reassuringly, 67% of teachers said
that they feel the CCSS will improve teaching. I agree with this statistic and I think the Common Core will
show a transition to teaching from a more skills-based perspective than merely
content based and that the CCSS will force upon teachers a shift in instruction
that needs to happen. While I did
not feel a big shift in the pedagogy expected from teachers (likely because I
am only a second year teacher and the CCSS is the framework in which I began my
career), it is understandable that many teachers have to rework their system of
teaching to meet the needs of the new curriculum – which isn’t to say that’s a
bad thing.
The
biggest question that comes to my mind is “how do we get teachers more
prepared?” Only 60% of teachers teaching at risk youth who had more than 5 days
of preparation and professional development regarding the CCSS felt prepared to
teach their students. Having the
same amount of preparation, only 40% of teachers who educate students with
disabilities and English-learners felt prepared to implement the standards. Knowing that these are the populations
that we work with in Baltimore City, it is unacceptable to think that
potentially less than 60% of our teachers will feel prepared to help our
students meet success in the coming school year.
From
my own experience and in speaking with other BCPS teachers, the personnel
administering my professional development do not teach the same demographic
that I teach. Yes, they teach 6th
grade science like myself, but in regards to students current level of academic
performance, there is no comparison.
To teach me how to effectively engage students and teach students CCSS,
facilitators use on grade level or above text and many strategies that I know
are higher than and inappropriate for most of my students’ academic levels.
The
disconnect between professional development and individual teachers’ needs is frustrating
and what I believe is holding teachers back from feeling like they will meet
the CCSS with success. What
teachers need is time to collaborate within their school settings and with an
expert on how these standards can realistically be implemented in our
schools. Likewise, if professional
development is held on site at teachers’ schools, they have to go. Currently many teachers are not going
to district wide CCSS development sessions. How can a whole school be prepared
for testing of CCSS when certain teachers at those schools aren’t even learning
about how to implement the standards?
Furthermore, we need the time to plan for and adjust our current lessons
and units to blend with and meet the same standards of the CCSS.
I also can’t help but wonder if
this poll was taken by a number of worried teachers that are feeling the
urgency of the Common Core pressing down.
While we have been practicing with the standards and some schools have
opted in, until we are assessed on the CCSS, there is no way to tell if
teachers really were or were not prepared. Only time will tell.
Until then, what do you other bloggers think? Do you think the shift to Common Core is a smart one? How prepared do you feel for the shift
to happen?
Article Link: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/02/27/22common_ep.h32.html?tkn=QYVFy81d5R7avRfWtqsMHKs07ao9B7Xvxyz0&cmp=clp-edweek
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