By Steve Mayer
I keep the Common Core app on my phone for a reason.
Unfortunately, the topics of over-testing kids, governmental “curriculum” mandates and Common Core have become tied together in an unhealthy way. The notion that the Common Core State Standards prescribe a curriculum is a widespread and misleading notion, and is often followed closely by the sense that testing students on their learning progress is an overreach of the government.
The Common Core State Standards has set a bar for learning that will drive school districts to look strategically at what they do. Because the standards require critical thinking and analysis, problem solving and an understanding of how to interpret and make sense of an array of texts, they push educators beyond their traditional comfort zone.
If the standards compel kids to become critical thinkers, then our curriculum needs to push kids to think critically and analytically for a variety of purposes and in a variety of disciplines. This doesn’t necessarily mean adding to a child’s workload. It may translate into helping a student learn to slow down and dig deeper in order to acquire a more substantive understanding of material.
When I am confronted by those who argue against the standards, I typically open the app on my phone and begin to scroll through the expectations for first graders, or fourth graders, or tenth graders in order to ask the individual, “Which ones of these do you not want your child to know or be able to do?” What happens next is quite predictable.
A close reading of the standards reveals not a national curriculum or a set of doctrines, but a very important set of skills that our kids must be able to master in order to be college and career ready upon graduation from high school. The same close reading almost always concedes the standards are important. Upon recognition of this point, the conversation typically shifts to the topic of testing and often, as these discussions evolve, they lead to a common theme. Many individuals feel as the government’s mandates on testing have increased, the result has been an increased sense of powerlessness for teachers, parents and students, wasted instructional time and added stress and pressure on our kids.
Although I do not believe that testing every student every year is necessary, I remain hopeful that the data we collect from administering the PARCC will help us, as a district, improve our work in the classroom. The PARCC assessment seeks to evaluate the type of thinking and problem solving expected by the Common Core. It requires students to evaluate information and make judgments, to explain math processes, and to think about things from a variety of perspectives. These are good things. If our kids score well, I will be pleased with the progress Robbinsville Schools are making toward preparing their readiness for college and career. If, on the other hand, we see patterns of poor performance, we must make instructional adjustments as a result, which is also a good thing.
Scoring well on a PARCC assessment will not lead to a better college acceptance. Nor will it serve as a standalone criteria requirement for access to our most challenging courses. A student’s PARCC score will likely not benefit the individual learner nearly as much as it benefits our school district. As we learn about our strengths and weaknesses and act upon them, we become stronger. I do not want students or parents to be overly stressed about taking the PARCC assessments next spring. Rather, I hope to generate enthusiasm for what they may teach us about our school programs recognizing that data we collect based upon a strong set of common standards is ultimately a good thing.
As we move forward, we intend to host evening parent meetings as a way to provide information regarding the schedule and process of administering the PARCC assessments. We will also discuss how the results of the assessments will help us refine our programs as well as how we intend to use the data to help, not harm our kids. Please watch your email for the invitations to these important meetings. In the meantime, please know that we stand by our commitment of maintaining high standards for all students as we simultaneously continue to adjust our programs in purposeful, intentional ways that will challenge every child to his or her full potential.
Steve Mayer is superintendent of Robbinsville Schools.