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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Excellent point!  The issue with Common Core is that, on some level, it ignores this reality and approaches curriculum standards as if students across the country were all performing at the "average point" when plenty are excelling (your Cambridge, MA example).  Areas where excellence is happening need to be encouraged (and, perhaps even more rigor could be added), areas where sub-par performance is happening need extra encouragement/support.  But, to treat the entire country as if the performance was similar across the board ignores the truth and obscures the areas where need exists. [/quote]

Nowhere in the Common Core does it say that students are only allowed to be able to do the things in the Common Core standards and are forbidden from doing anything more. If states want to add more, then they are free to add more -- as far as I know.[/quote]

Let's assume you're right )that individual states can add not to the cc standards. In practice that simply wouldn't work b/c there are only do many hours in the school day.  If your school must cover x,y and z under the cc standards, that is where the time must be spent. The lessons will be written to support those standards, tests will cover the standards, etc. So, even if not prohibited from doing more, the reality is that schools won't be able to do more.[/quote]

I don't get it. You are arguing that if Cambridge, MA, required x, y, and z before the Common Core, but the Common Core only requires x and y, then with the Common Core, Cambridge, MA, will only be able to do x and y, because there are only so many hours in the school day. How does that work?[/quote]

Oh, that's easy.  It's because the curriculum is written in such a way that you must cover x and y ad nauseam until every kid in the classroom gets to the proficient level.  That could mean that you must cover addition for 6 months because that is what the new standard (and your corresponding curriculum) dictates.  So, whereas in the past Cambridge might have been able to assess the kids and recognize that they could master addition in 1 month and then move along to, say, multiplication, now they would need to remain working on addition.

It essentially becomes the ridiculous extreme of "teaching to the test" by making it "working to the standard" or "working to the inflexible curriculum."  After all, if the curriculum dictates, say, 6 months of addition work, the teachers would have to go around the curriculum in order to add enrichment and/or to move more quickly.  In addition, the test that corresponds to the new standard will only test addition (to continue our example), so we know how that goes, right.  Sure, it means that the teachers have to drill and drill and drill addition so the kids are "ready for the test."  I know this all defies logic and common sense.  If our previously great MCPS ES hadn't done these types of things with the rollout of curriculum 2.0, I wouldn't be nearly so cynical about these new standard.  Honestly, within on year our school went from enriching, ability level appropriate level work which challenged kids of all levels and became a rigid, everyone must learn the same things at the same pace bureaucratic system.  Looking at the bored faces of kids who had previously done challenging work, as they were forced to do worksheets on addition for-- literally-- months at a time was just plain sad.  Sad and wrong.

This is what can happen when good intentions are implemented over large groups without proper thought to the unintended consequences.[/quote]

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