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Common Core opens the door to school choice
According to the National Governors Association, on "June 1, 2012, 48 states and territories, the District of Columbia, and all of the Department of Defense schools that serve the children of U.S. service men and women around the world, had formally adopted the (Common Core State Standards) CCSS." With the United States' academic ranking continuing to fall further behind other nations, and the rise of global economic factors, it has become increasingly important to make sure our youth are prepared to enter a highly competitive workforce. As a nation, we must first address the disparity between states regarding educational achievement. This was an idea whose time had come, but as in every great idea, its success lies in the details; and the implementation of Common Core has become problematic on multiple levels across the country. The unintended consequences of Common Core testing became evident as issues arose regarding cultural, economic, geographic and even political differences. Teachers who were highly supportive because of the potential for nationwide networking of teaching materials and strategies became increasingly concerned about being held accountable for potential factors effecting outcomes that would extend beyond their range of influence. The structure of the testing also needed to be politically and culturally neutral, something not easily achieved with such a diverse demographic. As a result, Common Core is in jeopardy, yet there is an answer.
Both Common Core and school choice are about providing America's children with the best, most appropriate education available, regardless of income, in preparation for a career within a global economy. Without national standards, there is little available for the evaluation of graduates other than an SAT, which many countries discount because it is simply one four-hour test, not really an in-depth evaluation of skills. Many foreign universities will only accept an International Baccalaureate or the Advanced Placement International Diploma because of the consistency in the evaluation of a student's abilities. The United Kingdom has their A-Level exams and other countries have similar requirements at varying stages of schooling. Given our nation's geographic and cultural diversity, it becomes even more important to provide a national standard that evaluates the basic skills of all students on an equal plane. This is not a political issue – it is a global reality.
Everyone wants his or her child to be well-educated. Parents want their children to reach their potential, regardless of learning challenges, and want the opportunity to place their children in the most beneficial environment for their education, regardless of learning differences. We want higher academic levels to be offered; teacher accountability; appropriate teaching methods implemented to address learning styles, within a suitable environment for their particular child; in addition, parents want a voice in what is taught and how the curriculum is implemented. The combination of Common Core and school choice can answer these challenges.
Common Core has the worthy goal of establishing a minimal standard of education for America's children. A global economy demands national proficiency if our youth are to succeed. In addition, a child should not be at a disadvantage moving from state to state, or even neighborhood to neighborhood, because of differences in the level of academics offered. While fiscal budgets vary among districts, thus effecting facility structures and optional programs offered; there should be consistency in the level of academics available, with a focus on a common core of skills. However, each state – and even districts within those states – has their own unique needs, and they may differ considerably. A child attending school in a rural environment may require a different skillset than one from an urban environment, one which extends beyond simply preparing for college admittance. Those needs are best identified and met by local communities. We must respect those differences while fully supporting minimal standards of education, as it is unacceptable for a student to graduate from high school with an inability to read or with other core deficiencies, but it must be structured to local needs with the ability to adapt to student learning differences, a key incentive for school choice. Children have different talents and those are best supported within targeted academic structures, whether it is in the arts, sciences, sports or the humanities. The skills developed remain constant, but the framework within that development adapts those skills to the individual child's interests and abilities. Those unique differences are not always possible in the local school environment. Parents' ability to choose what works best for their child and family is often crucial to achieving academic success.
School choice offers a variety of educational options that are tailored to specific interests or styles of teaching. Accountability is foremost, as the schools tend to be smaller with greater community involvement and are often more diverse, as students from all areas of the community attend. Students generally perform better due to smaller classroom sizes and targeted focus. For some students, it offers a safer environment, which creates a motivational framework for achievement. Teachers enjoy the freedom to explore new methods of teaching which complement the focus of their particular school.
For successful implementation of common academic standards across the country, it is essential to offer school choice, which allows parents and local communities the ability to create appropriate curriculum to meet standards while adapting to each child's individual learning style, ability and interest. Teachers are less stressed, since they can adapt their instructional model to an area of interest, which supports student and community expectations and extends beyond national or statewide statistics. The Common Core skillset can be implemented in more creative ways and often within smaller academic environments, making it a more interactive and motivational experience for both student and teacher.
While the skills tested must be consistent, the content and implementation of national testing should be approved by individual states because the structure of questions affects interpretation, thus results, and that interpretation may differ due to a child's environment. Much like IQ tests were challenged because of environmental, cultural and social differences, so must the construction of evaluation materials for the academic testing of our nation's children. We are a melting pot of cultures, which differentiates us from other countries, but that has always been our strength. Yet it does offer a unique set of challenges as we attempt to quantify student outcomes in preparation for the challenges of a global economy.
Common Core cannot be successfully implemented without school choice and both are essential to the improvement of our educational system. National examinations must be unbiased and skills-based, eliminating any controversial elements or political inferences in either the questioning or the structure. The materials used to teach these skills must include flexibility for state requirements and local demand, with an evaluation model that compliments student differences; for example, mastery might be demonstrated in several ways, adapting to visual, auditory or kinesthetic learning styles; adjusting the evaluation method should in no way diminish the content or expectations; the acquired skills must be demonstrated. Education encompasses a wide range of topics and experiences which can surround the learning of essential skills. We can maintain national standards while developing individual talents.
The idea of a Common Core of skills has been with us for quite some time. In fact, when the United States led the world in academics, the national standard was developed by private publishing companies. In the 1950 and 1960s, nearly every child across the country learned reading skills through Fun with Dick and Jane. It included workbooks and related materials. There was uniform testing from the publisher and the teaching structure and schedule of activities were similar across the country. Later, it was determined that the storyline of Dick and Jane did not take into account sufficient cultural or regional differences, thus making it more challenging for some to connect to, yet it was still exceptional in developing core reading skills. The point being that we have had successful national standards in the past, and while our desire to include cultural and regional differences is admirable, we must not allow it to diminish the quality of the material presented. As the most innovative country in the world, we should be able to do both. We cannot allow exceptions for political correctness or feel-good policies, because the rest of the world certainly will not.
Students win when choice is paired with core skills. Teachers win when their work is recognized by national measures and valued by local communities. Parents win when they become active stakeholders in the entire process, secure in the knowledge that their children are prepared to enter a globally competitive environment. States win as their achievement levels rise, and the nation wins as an educated populous is great for the economy and a strong economy is essential for our nation's progress and security.
Jacqueline Cartier
5 February 2015
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/education/231762-common-core-opens-the-door-to-school-choice
