From The Hechinger Report, an independently funded unit of Teachers College at Columbia University, comes the following chart about how the Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts are changing classrooms:
Six ways Common Core changes English and math classrooms
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Before
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Common Core
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- English classes concentrated on literature, like Huckleberry Finn and Great Gatsby
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English classes include a mix of literature and informational texts, like speeches and articles |
- Students asked about personal reactions and experiences in response to literature
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Students must base arguments and essays on evidence from the reading, not their own opinions or experiences |
- Focus on offering students books at their reading level, known as “just right” texts
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All students must read the same “complex” text, whether or not it’s beyond their reading level |
- Math classes covered multiple topics in the course of a grade, with frequent reviews
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The number of topics covered is reduced, so that students move through arithmetic, subtraction and other concepts more slowly; less review |
- In many schools, Algebra I was taught by 8th grade
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Algebraic concepts included earlier, but in most cases Algebra I not taught until high school |
- Memorization of formulas and practice was prioritized
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Memorization is supposed to be coupled with deeper understanding of math concepts and applying formulas in new ways |
