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Arkansas’s Common Core State Standards’ Review
An Arkansas task force headed by Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin will be examining the future of the state’s academic standards. The Associated Press reported yesterday that the Lt. Governor feels “Arkansas should keep some elements of Common Core, but make improvements where needed to the controversial education standards and rename them to better reflect the state’s needs.”
He added: “My view is you should not box yourself in to keeping it or rejecting it… If there’s a part of it we’ve looked at and think this is great, let’s keep it. If there’s a part of it that needs changing, let’s change it. It’s not an all or nothing deal.”
As Karen Nussle, Executive Director of the Collaborative for Student Success, pointed out earlier this month, the academic standards were intended by the Governors and state superintendents to be a “model” for states to choose to adopt and adapt to the state’s individual needs.
Nussle also added in her memo that:
“Opponents of Common Core aren’t offering an alternative set of academic standards that will adequately prepare kids for college or career. Policymakers are finding it is nearly impossible to produce high quality standards that bear no resemblance to Common Core.”
The task force will make its recommendations to the state Board of Education, which will ultimately decide what is in the best interest of Arkansas’ students. Local school districts and teachers will then work together to make sure students learn the content and skills they need in order to succeed in college, careers, and beyond.
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.