Common Core Standards

A  lot of questions have been circulating about the Common Core State Standards and some have come up during conferences. The Common Core Standards are being challenged around the state.   A  few state legislators have reopened the Common Core issue and are conducting hearings around the state.  As professionals, we need to educate people about the Common Core State Standards and dispel myths about the standards.  We are the professionals who work with the standards on a daily basis to guide our instruction and educate our kids.  I want you to be prepared to speak to parents, friends and family who ask about the CCSS standards that guide our work everyday.  

Here are some great resources from the WI DPI regarding the CCSS.  Your work with the standards and the impact for students are powerful in educating people about the standards.

 DPI CCSS Toolkit 

 Myths and Facts article

The next hearing close to Hudson is scheduled for:

Wednesday, October 23 (2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.) Eau Claire –Chippewa Valley Technical College

I will be testifying on behalf of WASCD educating the state about the CCSS on Wednesday.  We will have representatives from Hudson testifying as well and I will share quotes from them. I believe Dan Koch and Sandi Kovatch will also be testifying. Here is my prepared statement:

My name is Susie Prather and I am the principal at Hudson Prairie Elementary school in Hudson, Wisconsin.  I am here as a representative of the Wisconsin Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.  

WASCD has been a state leader in curriculum and instruction for 65 years.  The organization is non-partisan with a focus on improving student achievement through quality curriculum and instruction. Members of the organization include superintendents, curriculum directors, principals, teachers, and other educational professionals.

As experts in curriculum and instruction, we are committed to supporting the use of the Common Core standards as the foundation for the instruction and assessments.

The state's previous Model Academic Standards were a patchwork of expectations only providing what students should know and be able to do at grades 4, 8, and 12.  The Common Core Standards provide a clearly articulated set of expectations across each grade level.

By having a consistent set of academic expectations through Common Core Standards, districts are able to collaborate and develop greater opportunities for equity and access to key skills and concepts that are aligned with college and career expectations.

The Common Core Standards serve as a guide for local districts. The standards are not curriculum. Districts still have local control related to specific outcomes, curriculum, resources and assessments that are used.  In Hudson, we have used the standards to guide our planning of instruction, use of resources, and in developing rigorous assessments for the past three years.

Long term, the question that needs to be asked is "Do the Common Core Standards in reading and math better position our Wisconsin students to be competitive nationwide and worldwide, in college and viable careers?"   

As an educator, I know the Common Core Standards will do just that and will prepare students to be successful contributors to our world.

Institutes of higher education support the Common Core Standards because it raises the bar for our students.  Businesses across the state support the Common Core because students better understand and can use critical skills in math, literacy, and problem solving to be more effective employees. 

WASCD, with its 700 members, goes on record as supporting the Common Core Standards as a significant component of systemic improvement in math and literacy across the state.