Common Core scores will be your wake-up call
Parents will finally learn the truth
From 2010 to 2012, more than 40 states adopted the Common Core standards in reading and math, setting dramatically higher expectations for elementary and secondary schools. Now comes a critical milestone. Parents in most states will soon receive for the first time their children’s scores on new tests aligned to the standards. The news is expected to be sobering.
It is important to remember why so many states started down this path. Under federal law, every state must test children every year in grades three through eight to ensure they are making progress. That’s a good idea. Parents deserve to know whether their kids are learning, and taxpayers are entitled to know whether their money is being used wisely.
But it is left to states to define what it means to be “proficient” in math and reading. Unfortunately, most states set a very low bar before the Common Core, and their tests were even worse. The result was a comforting illusion that most students were on track to succeed in college, carve out satisfying careers and stand on their own two feet.
It was a lie. Every year, about 20% of incoming students at four-year colleges — and half of those at community colleges — must take “remedial” courses when they arrive. The vast majority of those will leave without a degree, or any kind of credential.
The most important step to fix- ing this problem is to stop lying to ourselves — and to parents — and ensure that children are ready for the next grade and, when they turn 18, for college or work.
Several studies, including analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, show that only 40% of highschool graduates leave our education system at the “college prepared” level in reading and math. Considering that almost 20% of our children don’t even make it to graduation day, that means that maybe a third of our kids are getting to that college-ready mark.
Common Core should help to boost college readiness — and college completion — by significantly raising expectations. But we shouldn’t be surprised if, at first, we find that just a third of elementary or middle-school students are “on track” for college.
No one likes to hear bad news, but without an accurate diagnosis, you can’t get well. Talk to your child’s teachers as soon as possible and make a game plan for getting extra help at home and at school. Some tough questions for your school or school board might also be in order. Demand local action to set things right.
Finally, parents should resist the siren song of those who want to use this moment of truth to attack the Common Core or the associated tests. They might not be perfect, but they are finally giving parents, educators and taxpayers an honest assessment of how our students are doing — a standard that promises to end the lies and statistical games.