An Examination of the NJCCS from the Perspective of Hirsch

1. An Examination of the NJCCS from the Perspective of Hirsch Jenne Castenelli Nancy Collier Christine DeSimone Kristy Leake Georgian Court University

2. Research used to base comparisons (Hirsch, 2008) • Hirsch advocates four-pronged policy of state standards • Good standards • Good tests • Good teacher training • Good materials • State standards have to be specific not vague.

3. Hirsh on Elementary Standards… (Rotherham, 2006) “What I think of as a standard is saying that you know you're going to do the Egyptians in first grade, and there are certain things about the Egyptians that you are going to learn and that's not going to be the whole story, but at least we know that in first grade you learn about the Egyptians. I haven't yet seen elementary curricula at the state level that had that kind of specificity, but if you don't have that kind of specificity they are not really standards and they are not doing the job that they need to do.”

4. Hirsch continued… “Congress and the states should note that the best tests to “teach to” are subject-matter tests based on explicit content standards for each grade.” (Hirsh,2008) “The nature of verbal growth is the basis for my advocacy of a core curriculum. A carefully sequenced core curriculum is the only known way of insuring that all the students in a classroom will be sufficiently familiar with the context of classroom discourse to be able to learn new words and things from it.” (Hirsch E. , 2007)

5. What good standards need to have according to Hirsch… (What is Core Knowledge?, 2008) • Core knowledge has to have the four “S’s” • Solid • Sequenced • Specific • Shared

6. Are NJCCS the following? Solid Sequenced Shared Specific

7. Social Studies

8. Solid (NJ Department of Education, 2006) • Hirsch argues that even though knowledge changes with time there should be a constant body of knowledge from K-8. • Example of an NJ standard from K-2 that meets Hirsch’s standards. • Recognize the names of major figures in American history, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Sacajawea, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, and Martin Luther King Jr.

9. Sequenced The NJCCS for Social Studies is sequenced. It repeatedly refers throughout the document that knowledge and skills are built upon previous knowledge learned in earlier grades. However, an argument could be made that the core content from K-2 is weak in American History not giving students a strong enough foundation to build on.

10. Not Specific Enough… (NJ Department of Education, 2006) • Hirsch would argue that many of the standards are not specific enough. Many of New Jersey’s standards can be interpreted in a variety of ways. • For example… • Analyze the political, social, and cultural characteristics of the English colonies. • Understand the institution of slavery in the United States, resistance to it, and New Jersey’s role in the Underground Railroad.

11. Examples of Specific Standards… (NJ Department of Education, 2006) • Hirsch would be able to identify good standards as well in the NJCCCS for Social Studies. Many standards specifically identify key topics to be covered. • 5-8 Describe and map the continuing territorial expansion and settlement of the frontier, including the acquisition of new territories and conflicts with Native Americans, the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the California gold rush. • 9-12 Analyze and evaluate key events, people, and groups associated with industrialization and its impact on urbanization, immigration, farmers, the labor movement, social reform, and government regulation including: • Inventions such as the telephone and electric light • The formation of Standard Oil Trust • The Interstate Commerce Act • The Sherman Anti-Trust Act

12. Shared (NJ Department of Education, 2006) • Hirsch would approve of the many standards that make New Jersey students culturally literate. • K-2 Explain the historical significance of major national holidays (e.g. Independence Day, Labor Day) and American symbols. • 5-8 Discuss the major events (e.g. Boston Tea Party, Battle of Trenton) and personalities (e.g., George Washington, John Adams, John Witherspoon, William Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson) of the American Revolution. • 9-12 Compare and contrast the major philosophical and historical influences on the development of the Constitution (e.g., Washington's Farewell Address (1796), Locke's Second Treatise, the ideas of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and William Paterson).

13. New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Language Arts Literacy 3.1 (Reading) and the Hirsch Philosophy

14. Hirsch and NJ Language Arts Literacy Yes or No? “NJCCCS for language arts literacy captures the language experiences all children need in order to grow intellectually, socially and emotionally in classrooms across the curriculum. The standards are intended to promote students’ capacities to construct meaning in any arena, with others as well as on their own. If students learn to read, write, speak, listen and view critically, strategically and creatively and if they learn to use these arts individually and with others, they will have the literacy skills they need to discover personal and shared meaning throughout their lives.” Hirsch on Cultural Literacy IF . . . ~Reading and writing are acts of communication ~Successful reading requires shared knowledge ~Reading ability depends on not only broad knowledge but shared knowledge THEN . . . Hirsch would at least support the premise of the NJCCCS for language arts literacy. Take a look . . .

15. Let's Look Closer! • NJCCCS for Language Arts Literacy, Standard 3.1(reading) All students will understand and apply knowledge of sounds, letters, and words in written English to become independent and fluent readers, and will read a variety of materials and texts with fluency and comprehension. Hirsch suggests that our schools do well in teaching decoding skills, but that decoding alone does not constitute “true literacy.” He continues that “reading and writing are not simply acts of decoding and encoding, but rather acts of communication. The literal words we speak and read and write are just the tip of the iceberg of communication.” Therefore reading is not just a technical skill but also an act of communication. The wording of standard 3.1 suggests that decoding will go beyond just the knowledge of sounds to make our students fluent and able to comprehend. But is this enough? Let’s see how the description of this standard can help us further understand . . .

16. Descriptive Statement of Standard 3.1 “A primary reading goal is for students at all grades to read independently with fluency and comprehension so that they will become life-long learners. Students should read grade-appropriate or more challenging classic and contemporary literature and informational readings, both self-selected and assigned. A diversity of reading material provides students with opportunities to grow intellectually, emotionally and socially as they consider universal themes, diverse cultures and perspectives, and the common aspects of human existence.”

17. But is there more? NJCCCS 3.1 Reading Further Description . . . “It is important to help students become fluent readers in the early years, and then help them expand their literacy abilities as the progress through the middle and high school grades.” “Students apply literal, inferential and critical comprehension strategies before, during and after reading to examine, construct, and extend meaning. Students need to recognize that what they hear, speak, write and view contributes to the content and quality of their reading experiences.”

18. Hirsch says that the true measure of reading ability is the ease and accuracy wih which a person can understand diverse kinds of writing. Certainly, a goal of the NJCCCS for language arts literacy in reading IS to understand diverse kinds of writing and to expose children to many types of text, including classics. From the classics, it is possible to fill in some of the gaps of background information that is so important for cultural literacy. However, if the quality and content of their reading experiences is impacted by what they speak, hear and write, then the challenge of the core content standards in reading is the impact of illiterate environment in which many children find themselves after the school day. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

19. References Hirsch, E. (2008). Plugging the Hole in State Standards. American Educator , 8-12. Hirsch, E. (2007, November 9). Narrowing the Two Achievement Gaps. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from Core Knowledge: http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/about/articles/NarrowingGaps.htm Hirsh, E. (2008, February 2008). The Knowledge Connection. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from The Core Knowledge Blog: http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/02/16/the-knowledge-connection/ Rotherham, A. J. (2006, September 26). Core Convictions: An interview with Ed Hirsh. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from Education Sector: http://www.educationsector.org/analysis/analysis_show.htm?doc_id=404833

20. References Hirsch, E. (2008). Plugging the Hole in State Standards. American Educator , 8-12. Hirsch, E. (2007, November 9). Narrowing the Two Achievement Gaps. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from Core Knowledge: http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/about/articles/NarrowingGaps.htm Hirsh, E. (2008, February 2008). The Knowledge Connection. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from The Core Knowledge Blog: http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/02/16/the-knowledge-connection/ NJ Department of Education. (2006). Social Studies. Retrieved October 2008, 2008, from NJ Core Content Standards: http://education.state.nj.us/cccs/?_list_cpi;c=6;s=4;g=8 Rotherham, A. J. (2006, September 26). Core Convictions: An interview with Ed Hirsh. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from Education Sector: http://www.educationsector.org/analysis/analysis_show.htm?doc_id=404833 What is Core Knowledge? (2008, May 22). Retrieved October 20, 2008, from About Core Knowledge: http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/about/index.htm#sample