Beginning in the fall of 2013, Pajaro Valley Unified School District schools are going to go through a curriculum change called the Common Core State Standard. This curriculum change is the considered the biggest change to hit California schools since the emphasis on reduced class size in the mid 1990‘s. This statewide initiative has already rolled out in over 45 states nationally. But before we discuss what these changes are, it is important to first look at why these changes are being made.
There has been a growing consensus over the last 10 years or so about the changes that our students will find when they enter the workforce and what globalization will mean for them in terms of competitiveness. What is apparent is that globalization is increasingly making the job market more competitive. It is increasingly common for an individual in Toledo, Ohio to be competing with an individual in Beijing, China or Paris, France for a job. On top of that, there is the concern that US students are falling behind their international peers.
Chinese students currently rank # 1 in both math and reading, according to a recent study. That same study found that US students scored at #14 in reading and 24th in math. At the same time, business leaders continue to voice concern that only 42% of graduating seniors can pass entrance tests for entry-level positions. Out of these concerns, the Common Core Standards were developed to help our children become more competitive in the global economy. The stated goal of the Common Core Standard is to guarantee that all students are prepared for careers and college as they leave high school.
To make this happen, a new series of standards are being introduced across California. Currently, these standards apply to the subjects of English language and mathematics. Other areas such as science are currently being reviewed. What these standards emphasize is a more focused approach to individual topics within each subject.
Therefore, with less topic coverage teachers will have the ability to go much deeper into each area to develop a more thorough understanding of the discussed items. There will also be a focused concentration on reading and writing throughout the curriculum to help students develop those skills and apply what they have learned to “real life” situations. In this way, there will be less memorization for test taking and more opportunities for application. This will assist students in building their critical thinking skills while helping them to learn to apply learned information to the world outside of the classroom.
Another way that this curriculum is different is emphasizing what is known as Higher Order Skills. As the world economy continues to globalize, our children will need to learn how to work collaboratively with a variety of people from other cultures. This new way of learning focuses on students working on classroom problems together in a group setting. This will allow students to see an issue from different perspectives in order to create a solution with an eye on a variety of viewpoints. This skill will help them as they build their careers in the global economy.
To accomplish all of this and to monitor progress, students will take a series of computerized assessments throughout the school year. These assessments will focus on application of the subject at hand. For example, instead of asking what number is higher among a set of numbers, a word problem may be presented that would encourage the student to think about a different way to solve the problem and to compute an answer.
The first assessment will take place at the beginning of the school year and will help the teacher pinpoint where the student currently stands. Each subsequent assessment throughout the school year will track the student’s progress. Due to the test being completely computerized, teachers will have almost instantaneous information on the progress of the students in the classroom. Due to the amount of computer usage that the system utilizes, the state of California has given each district 5 years to fully implement the computerized testing aspect. At an estimated cost of $500,000 with no state assistance, the district will need to actively look for funds to cover these costs.
Despite these costs, feedback for this program has thus far been positive. Parts of the curriculum and student evaluations have already been rolled out at certain classes at Mar Vista with success.
The positive aspect of this change is that the state and business leaders came together to look for different ways to ensure that students receive an education that will help to make them more competitive in the new global economy. The increased emphasis on deeper learning and a more collaborative approach is designed to help our children compete with individuals from across the globe.
With that said, as a district, we must also continue to work towards long term funding for the arts and athletics. These other pieces of the education experience help to develop a full, well-rounded student. In the end, students that have access to all of these experiences will be those most able to thrive in the new global economy.
For more information about the Common Core State Standard, visit www.corestandards.org