K-12 Standards - Assignment Example

The common core standards for English language, Arts and Literacy in science, social studies and technical s are considered to be an extended and broad based effort aimed at meeting the charge issued by the states to come up with the next generation of K-12 standards. This helps in ensuring that all students are college as well as career ready in literacy before the end of high school (Condition of Education, 18). The current work which was headed by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of chief state school Officers (CCSSO) is seen to build on the foundation that was laid by states on crafting education standards of high quality (Condition of Education, 13). The standards are also based on the most critical international models as well as input and research from various sources, which include scholars, state departments of education professional organizations, assessment developer’s educators from kindergarten through students, parents, and colleges as well as other public members. In regards to their content and design, refined through numerous rounds of feedback and successive drafts, to date, the standards do represent the best elements of standard related work as well as a crucial advance when compared to other previous work (Condition of Education, 25). As defined by NGA and CCSSO, the standards clearly shows what is expected from students to learn at each grade level in order every parent and teacher could be in a position to support and understand their learning. The standards are evidence and research based, consistent understandable and clear, aligned with career expectations and college, based on rigorous content as well as knowledge application through thinking skills of higher order, Built based on lessons and strength of the existing state standards and lastly informed by other countries which are top performing in order to prepare all students for success in the society and global economy (Condition of Education, 14). The old standards were based on basically expecting students to recite facts attained through reading passages from textbooks. On the other hand, the new standards expected students to read passages from textbooks and books that are seen to be so challenging as compared to the previously read in each grade level. Students apply technology fully to improve their reading speaking language use and writing. They do searches online to acquire important information efficiently as well as integrating what is learned using technology with what is learned offline (DelGuidice et al., 8). They are well acquainted with limitations and strength of several technological tools and are able to select as well as use the ones best suited to the communication goals. The standards are seen to acknowledge the fact that while some writing skills like the capacity to revise, edit, plan and publish, are relevant to several types of writing, there are more and better defined in terms of types of writing (narrative explanatory ,arguments) that is specific (Education ,3). The concept behind the standard base reform is to come up with clear standards for students to learn as well as use such academic standards in driving other changes in the system (Educational Standards and Curriculum, 6)). Consequently, standard based curriculum should be considered in the school reform context that not only include assessment and instructions but also community and parent involvement, professional development, instructional leadership and technology use as well as other resources (Educational Standards and Curriculum, 4) Based on the available evidence, each standard is critical for the success in career, college as well as in the current global economy. With parents, teachers and students all being on the same page together with working together towards achieving same goals, it can be ensured that students progresses every year and graduate from high school ready to be successful in career, college and life (Out of Many,6). The core standards puts more focus on procedures and core concepts that starts in the early grades, which provide teachers with enough time required to teach them as well as provide students with time required to master them (Out of Many,12). For grades K-8, standards of grade by grade exist in mathematics and English language literacy or arts. For grades 9-12, there is grouping of the standards into grade bands of 11-12 grade standards and 9-10 grade standards (Out of Many, 9). Despite the standards setting grade –specific goals, they never define the way the standards are supposed to be taught or what type of materials that are needed to support students. It is recognized by the states and the districts that a range of support will be needed in place in order to ensure that all students that include those with special needs as well as English learners master the standards. It is the responsibility of the state to define a full support relevant for such students (Condition of Education, 5). The grade specific standard set does not exist which could completely reflect the great variety of needs abilities, achievement and learning levels of students in any classroom. Critically, the standards give clear indications in the course of meeting the goals of college and career preparedness for all students (Condition of Education, 17). The common core standards asks students to read literature, stories and texts that are more complex and provide facts as well as basic knowledge in areas like social studies and science. Students will be asked questions and challenged and this puts pressure on them to refer back on what they read. Such stresses problem solving analytical skills and critical thinking that are needed for success in life, career and college (Condition of Education, 7). The core standards are seen to establish guidelines for English arts (ELA) and literacy in social studies, technical subjects and science. This is due to students are required to write, read, listen, speak as well as apply the language effectively in various content areas, the standards do promote the concept and literacy skills needed for career and college preparedness in various disciplines (Condition of Education, 4). The career and college readiness anchor standards are known to be the basis of the ELA standards through skills and knowledge articulation. On the other hand, grade specific standards offer additional specificity. At the start of grade 6, the literacy standards enable teachers of social studies ELA technical and science subjects to apply their content area expertise in order to help students achieve the given challenges of writing, reading listening, speaking and language in their given fields (Condition of Education, 18). It is critical to note that literacy standards of grade 6-12 in social studies technical and science subjects are purposed to content standards supplementations in such area, but not replacing them. The incorporation of these standards into the standards that already exist is determined by the state. They may be adopted by the state as content literacy standards (Educational Standards and Curriculum, 9). It can be also noted that the skills and knowledge gained in the ELA standards are set to prepare students for life after school. These include the critical thinking and capacity to alternatively and closely read texts in manner that will enable them to enjoy and understand complex literature work (Educational Standards and Curriculum, 13). Students will be able to learn to apply cogent reasoning as well as evidence collection skills that are crucial for the success in life career and college. It also important to note that the standards do lay out a vision of the real meaning of being a literate person prepared for success in the twenty first century. The Common Core State Standards for Literacy in All Subjects is seen to reflect the literacy significance both in written and oral language as well as both in productive (writing and speaking) and receptive (reading and listening) discourse. Precise, critical and clearly thinking are needed in the development of all these specific skills and strategies (CA Dept of Education, 14). Also the strategies addresses the functioning and learning of language in a technological, media-driven world due to language that is used is selective based on the conservation context (Educational Standards and Curriculum, 16) The Common Core State Standards focuses on three major types of writing that include logical, narrative and informational argument. Writing which presents a logical argument is particularly important to discipline specific work because credible evidence varies across content areas (Carnevale et al., 14). The capacity of considering multiple perspectives asses the claims’ validity and current point of view is needed in argumentative writing. Such communication and thinking and skills are important to college as well as career readiness. It can be concluded that common core standards are the answer to student’s success. These common core standards are based on the most critical international models as well as input and research from various sources, which include scholars, state departments of education professional organizations, assessment developer’s educators from kindergarten through students, parents, and colleges as well as other public members. They are seen to represent the best elements of standard related work as well as a crucial advance when compared to other previous work. Based on the available evidence, each standard is critical for the success in career, college as well as in the current global economy. With parents, teachers and students all being on the same page together with working together towards achieving same goals, it can be ensured that students progresses every year and graduate from high school ready to be successful in career, college and life. The core standards normally set standards that are grade specific but its limitation is that the intervention method or the required material for supporting students is not defined (Carnevale et al., 8). These students are either below or above the grade-level expectations. It is as well beyond the scope to define the full range of supports relevant for students with special needs and English language learners .All students are required to have the opportunity to learn as well as meet the high standards at the same time in case they have access to skills and knowledge required in their post-school lives (Carnevale et al., 6). Works Cited Carnevale, Anthony and Desrochers, Donna. Connecting Education Standards and Employment: Coursetaking Patterns of Young Workers, 2002.Print CA Dept of Education.ca/gov.2005.Print Condition of Education: High SchoolCourse-Taking. U.S. Department of Education, 2007.Print DelGuidice, Margaux, and Rose Luna. aCut to the core: our survey suggests librarians are grappling with Common Core perceptions and realities.a Publishers Weekly 12 May 2014: 20+. Academic OneFile. Web. 2014. Education. CQ Researcher. Retrieved from http:// library. cqpress. com/ cqresearcher/.2014 Educational Standards and Curriculum.a Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning,. Web. 18 Oct. 2014. http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recurf.aspx?wid=97060&ID=11408.2013 Out of Many, One: Towards Rigorous Common Core Standards from the Ground Up. Achieve, 2008.Print Read More