What Is the Common Core?

The Common Core Standards were designed to establish a baseline of what all students in the United States should be able to do by the end of each grade. They do not tell teachers how to teach, nor is it a curriculum. Curriculum is still determined at the local level. Schools can still provide differentiated instruction and advanced materials. The ultimate goal is to have clear, consistent goals that prepare our students to compete in a global society and be equipped with the skills to succeed in the marketplace.

Currently, measuring “student success” for students in the United States is much like measurement in the ancient world. Let me explain. In ancient civilizations, length was measured in “cubits” which was the length of the arm from the tip of the finger to the elbow. However, depending upon whose arm you were using, a cubit could vary considerably.

Although everyone agreed upon the description of the length, the actual results differed between villages.  In the realm of education, if you moved into a different school district, your child could be ahead or behind his peers depending upon the district you came from. Now I am not saying a one size fits all curriculum is the way to go. Far from it. Remember, the Common Core are standards just like a ruler is 12 inches. The video below does a nice job of explaining this further.