Now being implemented in 45 of 50 states, Common Core standards are already in use -- and in at least one state, those results are causing panic. Carol Burris, a high school principal on Long Island, NY, has been a first-hand witness to Common Core and its implementation into her schools. The Empire States 2013 Principal of the Year has written extensively about what she calls a flawed Core implementation. Burris writes that when the Common Core curriculum was introduced and promoted in 2009 creators said unequivocally that principles of equity would be at the center of its eventual implementation. Burris initially applauded, believing educational standards would be raised through a rich curriculum and equitable teaching practices (that) states could voluntarily adopt. But five years later, Burris is now writing against Common Core, exposing what she calls the growing discontent by students, parents, unions and legislators who are complaining about a myriad of issues -- including the lack of equality and the fact that academic standards are not being raised. First-year scores from Common Core testing in New York dropped like a stone – and achievement gaps dramatically widened, according to Burris. The following year scores slipped even further and achievement gaps continued to widen. But its actually far worse than that. Burris also looked at racial indicators. The percentage of black students who scored Below Standard in third-grade English increased from 15.5 percent to a shocking 50 percent post-Common Core implementation. In seventh-grade math, black students labeled Below Standard jumped from 16.5 percent to a staggering 70 percent. Evidence also showed that 75 to 84 percent of students battling disabilities fell into the Below Standard range too. Burris points out that if Common Core tests scores were used in New York State’s college-ready scores that students need for graduation, the states four-year graduation rate would have plummeted to 35 percent, with even worse outcomes for students with disabilities (five percent), as well as black (12 percent), Latino (16 percent) and English-language learners (seven percent). Even with such abysmal results in New York, the Obama administration continues using taxpayer dollars like a carrot to bribe states into adopting these standards.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:04:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015