EXAMINING THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 2

Examining the Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standards
The Common Core State Standards are a set of academic standards that include both
mathematical practices and content standards, for what every learner is required to learn in each
grade. They cover grade levels from kindergarten to High school and are used in most states in
the U.S though not all. CCSS are meant to support the improvement of our U.S. educational
system in different ways. First, they ensure uniformity where learners graduate with the
necessary skills that will enable them to succeed in their college life and thereafter in the
workforce. They also support the provision of a strong education to students, regardless of the
state they reside.
Guiding Principles behind the Development of CCSS
The development of the CCSS was guided by the following five principles:

(a) College-and-Career Readiness (CCR)

The principle is geared towards preparing students in different grades for college
education. At different levels, students are equipped with speaking, listening, reading, and
writing skills. They acquire what is referred to as the “people skills” which include informational
processing skills and thinking skills and by the time they graduate from high school, they already
have the necessary skills to fit in a college.

(b) Best Existing Standards

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CCSS developers sought to develop the standards on already existing state standards.
Thus, they built on what was already existing and made the necessary improvements.

(c) Solid Evidence

The developers’ decision on what standards were the best was based on the availability of
solid evidence on areas that mattered most in education. The selected standards were supported
by the presence of the evidence as opposed to people’s ideas.

(d) Clear Focus

CCSS developers considered standards that were focused on the issues that will be taught
and learnt in the classroom. Clear focus was another key guiding principle that ensured that the
CCSS was based on clarity and preciseness.

(e) Local Flexibility

The fifth principle entailed designing the CCSS in such a way that they allowed for local
choices and the teacher’s judgment. The standards do not focus on specific elements or genres in
the case of literature, on the contrary, they emphasize on imparting learners with skills that are
required to be CCR graduates.

Reflection

I feel that the Common Core Standards are an improvement to our educational system
because they have enhanced the rigor in certain classrooms thus has ensures that students are
well prepared for global work as well as college success. In fact, CCSS were created for this
reason. It has ensured that students do not require remediation before starting college. The

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increased rigor has also enhanced student’s readiness for life post high school. Besides, I feel
that CCSS assessments have provided teachers with an effective tool through which they can
monitor the progress of students throughout the year. Thus, teachers have a record of how
students are progressing and this allows them to figure out a plan on how to help them improve
in case the teacher identifies a problem. Arguably, I think that the standards have led to students
developing higher levels of thinking skills. This is because the CCS assessments cover various
skills in a single question and the students ultimately improve their reasoning and problem-
solving skills. Overall, the standards assessments are more authentic to the learning experience
of students.