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Here’s What Parents Should Know About Higher Standards
In Pennsylvania, parents and teachers gathered to discuss their frustrations with Common Core State Standards. Many parents felt “underprepared” when their children ask for help on their homework. However, parents should not get discouraged. There are many resources available for parents to help them understand the higher standards.
With many states now using similarly high academic expectations, parents who move across the country will have the confidence that their children will have learned the same concepts in the same grade as other students.
Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon to hear of parents who are confused by what is happening in their child’s classroom, especially when it comes to math homework. For example, Common Core is often blamed for the unfamiliar math methods — but in fact, lots of these methods weren’t created by the higher standards. They are actually methods that experts agree are strong approaches to helping kids to truly understand math concepts.
There are a number of resources that parents should be aware of – that will not only help them understand the standards, but also help them assist their children. These resources provide factual information to help parents navigate the implementation of higher standards and the changes happening in their child’s classroom.
Click here to view resources for parents!
Various school districts have begun to offer parent’s courses – or “math nights” – to relearn math. One parent argued that this approach would be helpful because there is “so much controversy about it,” and “if we knew more about it, maybe there wouldn’t be as much push back.”
Parents that are having trouble understanding their child’s homework should first take the necessary steps to better understand what’s happening in the classroom. The answer across the board is to communicate with your child’s teacher to find out why your student is learning what they are learning and how it will help them in the long run.
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.