The Latest News
Common Core Standards are Helping to Close the Honesty Gap
In a blog for Heartland Institute, Joy Pullmann claims that “despite Common Core’s promise of providing equal, nationwide benchmarks for student learning in math and reading, a new study finds proficiency levels on Common Core tests vary widely.”
Contrary to Pullmann’s claims that Common Core State Standards are “inflating student proficiency,” rigorous and consistent academic expectations for all students are helping to ensure that all children are receiving a high-quality education and are college and career ready.
A recent analysis by Achieve finds that after years of inflating measures of student readiness, most states have made strides to correct course by implementing rigorous education standards and high-quality student assessments. In fact, over half of states significantly narrowed their “Honesty Gaps”—the difference between state-reported proficiency rates and those identified by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—and 18 state closed discrepancies by 10 percentage points or more in both fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math.
As Karen Nussle, executive director of the Collaborative for Student Success stated, “Many states have resolved to take seriously the responsibility of providing parents and kids with honest and accurate information. Policymakers are mustering the political courage to level with parents about the fact that our students are not prepared for college or the workforce, and are now able to make policies that align with the reality of student preparedness.”
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.