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West Virginia Lawmakers Opted to Build on the Common Core, Not Repeal It

Writing for the Heartland Institute, Andy Torbett erroneously claims that West Virginia lawmakers approved legislation that will “repeal the state’s Common Core curriculum and prohibit the state’s Board of Education from implanting the national curriculum standards.” That’s not true.

In fact, the West Virginia Legislature voted to have the State Board of Education review and provide recommendations to improve the state’s education standards. Like West Virginia, many states have weighed the evidence and opted against repealing their Common Core State Standards.

As Mike Petrilli of the Fordham Institute explains, one reason is that it is “impossible” to create college- and career-ready education standards that look nothing like the Common Core:

“That’s because Common Core, though not perfect, represents a good-faith effort to incorporate the current evidence of what students need to know and do to succeed in credit-bearing courses in college or to land a good-paying job — and the milestones younger students need to pass to reach those goals.”

Instead, overwhelmingly states are building on the Common Core framework, and with notable success. An analysis by Achieve this year found more than half of state made significant progress closing their Honesty Gaps by implementing rigorous standards and high-quality assessments.

Similarly, a Harvard University study finds states have increased their proficiency benchmarks since implementing Common Core State Standards. “Now, in the wake of the Common Core campaign, a majority of states have made a dramatic move forward,” writes Paul Peterson, coauthor of the study. “In short, the Common Core consortium has achieved one of its key policy objectives: the raising of state proficiency standards throughout much of the United States.”

About the Collaborative for Student Success

At our core, we believe leaders at all levels have a role to play in ensuring success for K-12 students. From ensuring schools and teachers are equipped with the best materials to spotlighting the innovative and bold ways federal recovery dollars are being used to drive needed changes, the Collaborative for Student Success aims to inform and amplify policies making a difference for students and families.

To recover from the most disruptive event in the history of American public schools, states and districts are leveraging unprecedented resources to make sure classrooms are safe for learning, providing students and teachers with the high-quality instructional materials they deserve, and are rethinking how best to measure learning so supports are targeted where they’re needed most. 

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