In response to Rick Hess’ blog “The Common Core Kool-Aid” lamenting the latest silver-bullet ed-reform groupthink. I agree with Rick’s consistent themes that “it’s about the quality” and incremental improvement.

So, from the perspective of my experience in a non-profit math content publisher and ed researcher, a simpler take on CC: improves quality/quantity of widely relevant, widely comparable, statistically valid, actionable information for feedback into improving learning systems nationwide. State-level standards/assessments quality have empirically shown wide variation such that the low quality end has generated suspect information (e.g sky high state proficiency rates vs. NAEP rates). Apparently it’s politically more likely for the standards/assessment system to be gamed at the state, vs. federal, level.

So, not a panacea, nor a catalyst or driver for any specific “reform” agenda, just an incremental but i.m.o. highly significant and valuable improvement on the current state-of-affairs in information quality, transparency, and widespread relevance. Would be wonderful if over time CC turned out to provide a higher quality “floor” under teaching-to-the-test, too.

Advertisement