Common Core's epic fail: Special Education

[Anonymous]

because it forces the kid to really think and not just memorize and regurgitate answers

Because it has forced kids to go around in circles to get to answers that they already understand. Busy work and a waste of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

because it forces the kid to really think and not just memorize and regurgitate answers

Because it has forced kids to go around in circles to get to answers that they already understand. Busy work and a waste of time.

They know that 2+2 = 4, but having them explain why the answer is 4, or that there are other ways to make 4 is not busy work, but rather making the kid think. Being able to explain your answer is not busy work. It's a necessary skill.

Yes, I know, for SN kids, this is a challenge. Doesn't mean the rest of the kids shouldn't be required to do this.

[Anonymous]

They know that 2+2 = 4, but having them explain why the answer is 4, or that there are other ways to make 4 is not busy work, but rather making the kid think. Being able to explain your answer is not busy work. It's a necessary skill.

Yes, I know, for SN kids, this is a challenge. Doesn't mean the rest of the kids shouldn't be required to do this.

[Anonymous]

Being able to explain your answer is not busy work. It's a necessary skill.

Not necessarily. Kids can demonstrate understanding without having to stop and test it. This is what is required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Being able to explain your answer is not busy work. It's a necessary skill.

Not necessarily. Kids can demonstrate understanding without having to stop and test it. This is what is required.

Stopping and testing is not required. Demonstrating understanding is what is required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The teachers in my son's school say the standards are wordy, confusing and unclear in many areas.

The standards were written with minimal to no input from classroom teachers. We have someone on this board who thinks they are great. I think her job depends on CC<

There are many people on this board who think they are pretty good -- including me. My job does not depend on the Common Core standards in any way whatsoever. But maybe all those other people's jobs do, I don't know.

Based on what? These are untested, unproven standards, and children all across the country are suffering because of them.

Based on having read the standards.

Also, how many children all across the country are suffering because of them, and were children all across the county better off before the Common Core standards? I don't think so.

Also, I am in Montgomery County, where it is an article of faith that the Common Core standards are way too easy, and that any child who went to a decent preschool masters the K-3 Common Core standards before starting kindergarten. I don't think that it's logically coherent to argue that the Common Core standards are bad because

1. they're too hard,
2. they're too easy,
3. they're standards.

[Anonymous]

Please tell me why they are good.

They were written with little or no input for classroom teachers.

[Anonymous]

The materials designed to test the kids to the standards are confusing and misleading in many cases. Why is it so hard? Could it be the standards themselves are confusing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The materials designed to test the kids to the standards are confusing and misleading in many cases. Why is it so hard? Could it be the standards themselves are confusing?

I don't think the standards are confusing.

I think a lot of teachers, since these standards are new to them, are having a hard time finding good material to teach with. Keep in mind, that some of the materials they were using pre CC have been used for a very long time. But who knows how those teaching materials have evolved over time. Were some of the older material not so good when they first came out? My guess is "yes", and they had to be tweaked over time, just like the teaching materials for CC standards need to be.

[Anonymous]

I think the writing standards have been very beneficial for our ESOL and special education students.

The classroom teachers are teaching a lot more writing now that they know writing to a prompt will be on the state testing at the end of the year. The writing standards for the classes I teach say that students will specially be able to do the following (4th grade)

Opinion Writing:

Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Expository Writing:

Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Narrative Writing
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Students are really expected to be able to write by the end of 4th grade. They are supposed to be able to write clearly and coherently, and to stay on topic. Believe me a LOT of kids in 4th grade (not just ESOL and LD students) have trouble right now writing on a topic and not veering from the topic. They have trouble with mechanics too (poor spelling and punctuation, mostly) But I can see the results of the increased teaching in my students: they are developing writing stamina because they are being asked to write a LOT. They are organizing their thoughts into coherent paragraphs. They are re reading their sentences to see if they make sense or if they have left out a word.

We did a practice test a few weeks ago, and a lot of kids failed. They didn't address the writing prompt! The prompt said "Write about A" and the kids wrote about something completely different. So, the teachers are now working on how to write about the prompt, not just come up with whatever you want. Some of the Special Education kids had a hard time with that, but they are improving.

Some kids really are't yet writing at anything close to a 4th grade level. They are working at a K, 1st or 2nd grade level. Even so, the goal is to move them up as quickly as possible to this higher level of writing. My ESOL kids can't compose a piece with multiple paragraphs yet, but they can write on the topic, with simple sentences, and can spell words so that they can be understood, even if they aren't using perfect spelling. Next year when they are in 5th grade I hope they will be able to be writing on grade level.

[Anonymous]

What does Common Core have to do with that? I grew up a long time ago, and I was writing in fourth grade. You act like we had no goals or objectives before CC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does Common Core have to do with that? I grew up a long time ago, and I was writing in fourth grade. You act like we had no goals or objectives before CC.

Maryland very much did not have writing standards in this detail and this level.

I wish I could find a link to the writing standards we had in MD pre Common Core but I can't.

The point of Common Core standards is that all (or most) states have the same standards for writing, reading and math now. Perhaps in your state (or your school, or your teacher) you we expected to write like that, but the standard is now that everyone is (at least if their states adopt these standards).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the writing standards have been very beneficial for our ESOL and special education students.

The classroom teachers are teaching a lot more writing now that they know writing to a prompt will be on the state testing at the end of the year. The writing standards for the classes I teach say that students will specially be able to do the following (4th grade)

Opinion Writing:

Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Expository Writing:

Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Narrative Writing
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Students are really expected to be able to write by the end of 4th grade. They are supposed to be able to write clearly and coherently, and to stay on topic. Believe me a LOT of kids in 4th grade (not just ESOL and LD students) have trouble right now writing on a topic and not veering from the topic. They have trouble with mechanics too (poor spelling and punctuation, mostly) But I can see the results of the increased teaching in my students: they are developing writing stamina because they are being asked to write a LOT. They are organizing their thoughts into coherent paragraphs. They are re reading their sentences to see if they make sense or if they have left out a word.

We did a practice test a few weeks ago, and a lot of kids failed. They didn't address the writing prompt! The prompt said "Write about A" and the kids wrote about something completely different. So, the teachers are now working on how to write about the prompt, not just come up with whatever you want. Some of the Special Education kids had a hard time with that, but they are improving.

Some kids really are't yet writing at anything close to a 4th grade level. They are working at a K, 1st or 2nd grade level. Even so, the goal is to move them up as quickly as possible to this higher level of writing. My ESOL kids can't compose a piece with multiple paragraphs yet, but they can write on the topic, with simple sentences, and can spell words so that they can be understood, even if they aren't using perfect spelling. Next year when they are in 5th grade I hope they will be able to be writing on grade level.

These examples could also be 10th grade writing or college level writing.

[Anonymous]

Here we go, I found it!

Before Common Core, this was what we had in MD for the "composition" part of writing -- in fourth grade. Notice no mention of what you would consider "writing to a prompt" or writing a coherent paragraph -- main idea, details that support your main idea, comclusion.

4.4.A.1 Compose texts using the prewriting and drafting strategies of effective writers and speakers:
a. Generate topics based on discussion of common experiences using techniques, such as, graphic organizers, journal writing, listing,
webbing, and discussion of prior experiences. That's not to say individual teachers couldn't teach those things, but it wasn't required by the standards, and it wasn't tested on state-mandated year end testing. Hence...teaching writing paragraphs and essays wasn't usually taught.

4.4.A.2.f Manage time and process when writing for a given purpose

4.4.A.3 Compose texts using the revising and editing strategies of effective writers and speakers:

a. Revise texts for clarity, completeness and effectiveness
b. Use suitable traditional and electronic resources to refine presentations and edit texts for effective and appropriate use of language
and conventions, such as capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and pronunciation
• Self edit
• Peer edit
• Dictionary
c. Prepare the final product for presentation to an audience

So from my point of view as a parent and a teacher, the Common Core standards for writing are MUCH better than we used to have in MD.

[Anonymous]

Here we go, I found it!

Before Common Core, this was what we had in MD for the "composition" part of writing -- in fourth grade. Notice no mention of what you would consider "writing to a prompt" or writing a coherent paragraph -- main idea, details that support your main idea, conclusion. That's not to say individual teachers couldn't teach those things, but it wasn't required by the standards, and it wasn't tested on state-mandated year end testing. Hence...teaching writing paragraphs and essays wasn't usually taught.

4.4.A.1 Compose texts using the prewriting and drafting strategies of effective writers and speakers:

a. Generate topics based on discussion of common experiences using techniques, such as, graphic organizers, journal writing, listing, webbing, and discussion of prior experiences.

4.4.A.2.f Manage time and process when writing for a given purpose

4.4.A.3 Compose texts using the revising and editing strategies of effective writers and speakers:

a. Revise texts for clarity, completeness and effectiveness
b. Use suitable traditional and electronic resources to refine presentations and edit texts for effective and appropriate use of language
and conventions, such as capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and pronunciation
• Self edit
• Peer edit
• Dictionary
c. Prepare the final product for presentation to an audience

So from my point of view as a parent and a teacher, the Common Core standards for writing are MUCH better than we used to have in MD.