Are the Common Core State Standards for Christian Schools?

1. Are the Common Core State Standards for Christian Schools? Matthew Mast Liberty University Online This presentation was prepared for Education 380 Current Issues in Education, Spring Semester 2014, taught by Professor Maddox

2. Background and Overview of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

3. What are the Common Core State Standards? “The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt. The standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to enter credit bearing entry courses in two or four year college programs or enter the workforce” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, n.d.).

4. Mission Statement “The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, n.d.).

5. How do the Common Core State Standards compare to previous state standards? “The Common Core State Standards were written by building on the best and highest state standards in existence in the U.S., examining the expectations of other high performing countries around the world, and careful study of the research and literature available on what students need to know and be able to do to be successful in college and careers. No state in the country was asked to lower their expectations for their students in adopting the Common Core. The standards are evidence-based, aligned with college and work expectations, include rigorous content and skills, and are informed by other top performing countries. They were developed in consultation with teachers and parents from across the country so they are also realistic and practical for the classroom” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, n.d.).

6. Why are the Common Core State Standards just for English language arts and math? “English language arts and math were the subjects chosen for the Common Core State Standards because they are areas upon which students build skill sets which are used in other subjects. They are also the subjects most frequently assessed for accountability purposes” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, n.d.).

7. Will there be tests based on the Common Core State Standards? “States that adopted the Common Core State Standards are currently collaborating to develop common assessments that will be aligned to the standards and replace existing end of year state assessments. These assessments will be available in the 2014-2015 school year” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, n.d.).

8. The English Language Arts Standards The “Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects”are available for download at http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf.

9. Goals of the English Language Arts Standards The Core Standards website offers seven descriptions of students who meet the standards for English language arts literacy: • They demonstrate independence. • They build strong content knowledge. • They respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline. • They comprehend as well as critique. • They value evidence. • They use technology and digital media strategically and capably. • They come to understand other perspectives and cultures. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, English Language Arts Standards, n.d.)

10. Key Points of the English Language Arts Standards Reading • “The standards establish a ‘staircase’ of increasing complexity in what students must be able to read. • “Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students are expected to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective.” • “The standards mandate certain critical types of content for all students, including classic myths and stories from around the world, foundational U.S. documents, seminal works of American literature, and the writings of Shakespeare.” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Key Points in English Language Arts, n.d.)

11. Key Points of the English Language Arts Standards Writing • “The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing—a basic form of argument—extending down into the earliest grades.” • “Research—both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and longer term in depth research —is emphasized throughout the standards but most prominently in the writing strand.” • “Annotated samples of student writing accompany the standards and help establish adequate performance levels.” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Key Points in English Language Arts, n.d.)

12. Key Points of the English Language Arts Standards Speaking and Listening • “The standards require that students gain, evaluate, and present increasingly complex information, ideas, and evidence through listening and speaking as well as through media.” • “An important focus of the speaking and listening standards is academic discussion in one‐on‐one, small‐group, and whole‐class settings.” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Key Points in English Language Arts, n.d.)

13. Key Points of the English Language Arts Standards Language • “The standards expect that students will grow their vocabularies through a mix of conversations, direct instruction, and reading.” • “The standards recognize that students must be able to use formal English in their writing and speaking but that they must also be able to make informed, skillful choices among the many ways to express themselves through language.” • “Vocabulary and conventions are treated in their own strand not because skills in these areas should be handled in isolation but because their use extends across reading, writing, speaking, and listening. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Key Points in English Language Arts, n.d.)

14. Key Points of the English Language Arts Standards Media and technology • “Skills related to media use (both critical analysis and production of media) are integrated throughout the standards.” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Key Points in English Language Arts, n.d.)

15. The Mathematics Standards • The “Common Core State Standards for Mathematics”are available for download at http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf.

16. Goals of the Mathematics Standards “These Standards define what students should understand and be able to do in their study of mathematics. … Mathematical understanding and procedural skill are equally important, and both are assessable using mathematical tasks of sufficient richness.” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Mathematics, n.d.)

17. Key Points of the Mathematics Standards • “The K‐5 standards provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals.” • “In kindergarten, the standards…[focus] kindergarten work on the number core: learning how numbers correspond to quantities, and learning how to put numbers together and take them apart (the beginnings of addition and subtraction).” • “The K‐5 standards build on the best state standards to provide detailed guidance to teachers on how to navigate their way through knotty topics.” • “The standards stress not only procedural skill but also conceptual understanding, to make sure students are learning and absorbing the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels.” • “Students who have completed 7th grade and mastered the content and skills through the 7th grade will be well‐ prepared for algebra in grade 8.” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Key Points in Mathematics, n.d.)

18. Key Points of the Mathematics Standards • “The middle school standards are robust and provide a coherent and rich preparation for high school mathematics.” • “The high school standards call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges; they prepare students to think and reason mathematically.” • “The high school standards set a rigorous definition of college and career readiness, by helping students develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly do.” • “The high school standards emphasize mathematical modeling, the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, understand them better, and improve decisions.” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Key Points in Mathematics, n.d.)

19. Evaluating the Standards “Chester E. Finn Jr., the founder of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, argues in a new blog post that the common core is so far-reaching that, if implemented properly and fully, it will ‘change everything’ in American education. He details 20 aspects of our schooling system, from preschool to college, and textbooks to teacher training, that must undergo a significant evolution if they are to faithfully reflect the standards' vision of a good education” (Gewertz, 2012, p. 9).

20. Positive Elements and Strengths The mathematics standards place significant emphasis on conceptual understanding of mathematical activities, while also calling for proficiency in mathematics practice. “For over a decade, research studies of mathematics education in high-performing countries have pointed to the conclusion that the mathematics curriculum in the United States must become substantially more focused and coherent in order to improve mathematics achievement in this country” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Mathematics, n.d.)

21. Positive Elements and Strengths The Common Core State Standards seem to require a higher-level of thinking than most previous standards. “In interviews with a range of teachers in New York City, most said their students were doing higher-quality work than they had ever seen, and were talking aloud more often” (Baker, 2014).

22. Positive Elements and Strengths Nationwide standards make sense in a global economy. “There is little question in my mind that national standards will be a blessing. The crazy quilt of district and state standards will become more rational, student mobility will stop causing needless learning hardships, and the full talents of a nation of innovators will be released to develop a vast array of products and services at a scale that permits even small vendors to compete to widen the field to all educators' benefit” (Wiggins, 2011).

23. Positive Elements and Strengths The Common Core State Standards seem to reflect 21st century demands and realities. “They [the CCSS] are ingredients for curriculum—better ingredients than many we’ve had in the past. But they are not dinner. They are contemporary building codes—better suited to the 21st century than many previous sets of building codes. But they’re not the buildings” (Tomlinson, 2012, p. 91)

24. Negative Elements and Weaknesses Curriculum publishers and school districts are tempted to build curriculum around the standards. “The grade-by-grade backmapping of graduation standards is too often turning into a grade-by-grade literacy curriculum replacing the rich discipline-based explorations of language and literature that have characterized ELA instruction. As new tests are developed to ‘align’ with CCSS, this problem is exacerbated by the pressure to teach to the test.” “Rather than encouraging knowledge-building, most implementations of the CCSS have focused on limited test-taking skills and formulaic approaches to timed tasks” (Applebee, 2013b, p. 30). “My greatest concern is in the evolution of the assessments that are being developed to accompany the standards” (Applebee, 2013a, p. 30).

25. Negative Elements and Weaknesses The mathematics standards are not rooted in real-world problems “There is not one word in the standards document about building curricula backward from rich, nonroutine, interesting, and authentic problems. … I am astonished that there is not one mention in the document of the difference between real and pseudo-problems. … How will students learn to model with mathematics if they aren't provided with ambiguous and confusing situations that demand models and in which different models have pros and cons” (Wiggins, 2013, pp. 22-23)?

26. Negative Elements and Weaknesses The mathematics standards lack connection between practice and content “[The practice standards] are a start, but they are set apart from dozens of pages of content standards, and none of the assessment or instructional examples in the content standards show you how to combine practice and content” (Wiggins, 2013, pp. 22).

27. Negative Elements and Weaknesses Targets for conceptual understanding are unrealistic “When I first read the Common Core English/language arts standards for grades K-5, my visceral reaction was that they represented an unrealistic view of what young children should know and be able to do” (Yatvin, 2013, p. 42). “Some standards call on young children to behave like high school seniors, making fine distinctions between words or literary devices, carrying on multiple processes simultaneously, and expressing their understandings in precise academic language. Others expect them to have a strong literary background after only two or three years of schooling. Some standards are so blind to the diversity in American classrooms that they require children of different abilities, backgrounds, and native languages to manipulate linguistic forms and concepts before they have full control of their own home language. And, sadly, a few standards serve only to massage the egos of education elitists, but are of no use in college courses, careers, or everyday life” (Yatvin, 2013, pp. 42-43).

28. Negative Elements and Weaknesses Accelerated reading targets in the primary grades are unrealistic Researchers Elfrieda H. Hiebert and Heidi Anne E. Mesmer (2013) say, “The end of Grade 3 may represent less than a third of students’ school careers but the 790L target for the end of third grade represents 58% of their reading competency. … No longitudinal evidence is available to show that reading at the 790L level at third grade is a prerequisite for reading complex texts at high school level. … Neither is there evidence that the accelerated targets in the primary grades are necessary for high school graduates to read the texts of college and careers” (p. 47).

29. Negative Elements and Weaknesses Emphasis on “informational texts” will reduce students’ exposure to fiction “‘The teaching of information does not automatically lead to learning.’ What is required instead is a ‘constructive, effortful process where the learner actively reorganizes perceptions and makes inferences.... These inferences lead to an understanding that may be all the deeper because the children had to strive to infer meaning. Ironically, the more direct, explicit condition may have produced less conceptual development precisely because it was explicit’” (Zunshine, 2013, p. B4).

30. Negative Elements and Weaknesses Emphasis on “informational texts” will reduce students’ exposure to fiction “If we define complexity in terms of metacognitive thinking, then reading less fiction on the grade- and high-school levels will decrease students' capacity for complex thinking in all academic disciplines.” “If you want nonstop high-level sociocognitive complexity, simultaneous with nonstop active reorganization of perceptions and inferences, only fiction delivers” (Zunshine, 2013, p. B5).

31. Negative Elements and Weaknesses The standards wish for creativity but don’t include any way to develop it “Producing something innovative is as real an exercise as producing many of the traditional literacy artifacts cited in the standards.” “Certain competencies and understandings should be outlined in our basic literacy standards.” “Schools should embrace and teach the grammar of new media as clearly as the new standards embrace grammar related to words.” “Teachers must explicitly teach students how to innovate and must provide opportunities for them to innovate, particularly in relation to technology and living a digital lifestyle” (Ohler, 2013, pp. 42-43).

32. Should Christian Schools Adopt the Common Core State Standards?

33. Why Do Private Schools Adopt the Common Core State Standards? • For Practical Considerations (Robelen, 2012) • Textbooks are changing to reflect the CCSS. • Teacher-training programs are changing to reflect the CCSS. • Schools feel a need to stay competitive with public schools. • Schools wish to minimize the impact for students who may transfer back to public schools. • Schools are considering the “expected impact on K-12 standardized tests, textbooks, and college-entrance exams.” • “Parents may come to expect some alignment” between private schools and public schools.

34. Why Do Private Schools Adopt the Common Core State Standards? • To Strengthen the School’s Instructional Program • “By taking time to review our program through the lens of the Common Core State Standards, we have become more methodical in the design and documentation of our curriculum, more mindful in our differentiation of instruction for a range of learners, and more effective in distinguishing ourselves in a market with a strong public school” (Davies, 2014, p. 52). • “In short, by viewing our practices in conjunction with the Common Core standards, we were able to engage in productive professional discussions and debates about our curriculum. Overall , the process has helped us to become more committed to developing an aligned set of standards and relevant units across grade levels that we feel best prepare our students for their futures” (Davies, 2014, p. 52). • “Considering the Common Core standards is not about trying to look like a good public school. It's about gaining deeper understanding about what we do and how we do it. In the end, the students will benefit—and the school will have a much stronger sense of its identity and purpose” (Davies, 2014, p. 54).

35. The Example of Catholic Schools • “More than 100 Roman Catholic dioceses spanning the nation from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, have decided to adopt the standards, according to a recent survey from the National Catholic Educational Association. Even the El Paso Diocese in Texas, a state that wanted no part of the common standards, signaled last spring that it was signing on” (Robelen, 2012, p. 1). • “The Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative, which involves the NCEA, Catholic universities, and others, is developing and sharing resources and guidelines for schools to integrate Catholic identity -- including values, beliefs, and social teachings -- into curriculum and instruction based on the standards” (Robelen, 2012).

36. The Example of Catholic Schools • “More than 130 Catholic scholars have signed a letter to the nation's Roman Catholic bishops condemning the Common Core State Standards and urging the church leaders to resist adopting them, or abandon the standards if implementation has already begun. The signatories include professors in many disciplines, including theology, philosophy, and architecture. …the signers argue that those [who have adopted the Common Core State Standards] are doing ‘a grave disservice to Catholic education in America’ because the new standards lack sufficient rigor to prepare students to do well in college” (Gewertz, 2013, p. 4).

37. The Example of Reformed Schools • Christian Schools International • Anticipate “widespread adoption” among member schools • Often prompted by reaccreditation process • Caveat is if standards “interfere with the mission or biblical worldview of a school” (Robelen, 2012)

38. The Example of Protestant Schools • Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) • Offers a position statement “to help ACSI member schools decide whether to adopt the standards” • “Does not require curriculum decisions of any member” • “It is ACSI’s belief that the Common Core Standards (CCS) are less about philosophical positioning and more about universal educational standards that are applicable worldwide” (“Association,” 2013).

39. ACSI encourages all Christian schools to: • “make themselves aware of the CCS and whether their states have adopted them. • “review the school’s curricula to see to what degree it generally matches, exceeds, or falls short of the CCS standards. • “ensure that the philosophical foundations of Christian education are used to evaluate the CCS, and be able to articulate those distinctions. • “not adopt CCS as a wholesale benchmark for curricular quality. • “use the standards as an informational piece regarding the national and global educational context in which we are preparing students.” (“Association,” 2013)

40. What Should Administrators and Teachers Consider about the CCSS? • Administrators and teachers at Christian schools should develop awareness and familiarity with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). • Administrators and teachers at Christian schools should recognize that the CCSS are not curriculum, but are rather standards describing a baseline of knowledge and skills that students should achieve. • When making decisions about curriculum, administrators and teachers should compare the curriculum with the CCSS. • When the CCSS align with the goals of the Christian school, incorporation of the CCSS can be helpful. • Evaluation of the CCSS should always be rooted in Biblical perspectives on the child, the community, true wisdom, and the purpose of education. • Administrators and teachers at Christian schools should not attempt to pattern their education after public education, but should pursue a radically Christian approach to education.

41. Closing Thought “There is no sphere of life that is ‘neutral’; rather, our practices and institutions are always and ultimately shaped and informed by faith commitments. …what pretends to be neutral or secular in fact masks some other faith commitment. “The vision of Christian education is radical because it stems from the conviction that any and every education is rooted (Latin: radix) in some worldview, some constellation of ultimate beliefs. Therefore, it’s important that the education and formation of Christians be rooted in Christ (Col. 2:7)—rooted in and nourished by a Christian worldview across the curriculum. “The commitment to Christian schooling grows out of a sense that to confess ‘Jesus is Lord’ has a radical impact on how we see every aspect of God’s good creation. The curriculum of Christian schools should enable children to learn about everything—from algebra to zygotes—through the lens of Christian faith” (Smith, 2011).

42. References Applebee, A. N. (2013a). Common core state standards: The promise and the peril in a national palimpsest. English Journal, High school edition 103(1), 25-33. Applebee, A. N. (2013b). The downside of a test-driven curriculum. Reading Today, 31(2), 30. Association of Christian Schools International. (2013, October 10). Association releases common core statement. Retrieved from http://www.acsiglobal.org/about-acsi/press-release-archive Baker, A. (2014, February 17). Common core curriculum now has critics on the left. The New York Times, p. A1. Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). English Language Arts Standards. In Students who are college and career ready in reading, writing, speaking, listening, & language. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/students-who-are-college-and-career-ready-in-reading-writing-speaking-listening-language Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/resources/frequently-asked-questions Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). Key points of the English language arts standards. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/KeyPointsELA.pdf

43. References, continued Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). Key points of the mathematics standards. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/KeyPointsMath.pdf Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). Mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/Math Davies, A. (2014). Consider the core. Independent School, 73(2), 50-54. Gewertz , C. (2012). Should the common core change everything?. Education Week, 32(7), 9. Gewertz, C. (2013). Catholic scholars encourage opposition to common core. Education Week, 33(12), 4. Hiebert, E. H. and Mesmer, H. A. E. (2013). Upping the ante of text complexity in the common core state standards: Examining its potential impact on young readers. Educational Researcher 42(1). 44-51. DOI: 10.3102/0013189X12459802. McCluskey, N. (2013). No child is standard. Reading Today, 31(2), 30. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common core state standards. Washington, D.C.: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. Ohler, J. (2013). The uncommon core. Educational Leadership, 70(5), 42-46. Tomlinson, C. (2012). One to Grow On. Educational Leadership, 70(4), 90-91.

44. References, continued Robelen, E. W. (2012). Private schools opt for common core. (cover story). Education Week, 32(7), 1-12. Smith, J. K. A. (2011, January 18). The case for Christian education. The Banner. Retrieved from http://www.thebanner.org/features/2011/01/the-case-for-christian-education Wiggins, G. (2011). The common-core math standards: They don't add up. Education Week, 31(5), 22-23. Yatvin, J. (2013). Warning: The common core standards may be harmful to children. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(6), 42-44. Zunshine, L. (2013). Why fiction does it better. Chronicle Of Higher Education, 60(15), B4-B5.