New Common Core math curriculum a disaster

jodifla

WDW lover since 1972
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So my school district decided at the last minute to introduce a new math curriculum that is based around Common Core. Teachers took a crash course in it this summer and now it is being rolled out to 6th thru 12th graders.

It's so inappropriate for so many types of students that it's positively breathtaking that school officials could be so dumb and susceptible to fads.

The teacher is not allowed to help students. Kids are split into teams of 4, and only one is allowed to speak to the teacher. Each kid has a "role" and they help themselves through the process. Like one is the resource manager, one is the facilities manager, etc. The other kids are supposed to explain the problems to anyone who doesn't understand. One problem is 4 pages long.

And this is the curriculum in EVERY case for EVERY problem. For the next year.

For a subset of kids, this is probably a good learning method. For anyone with a disability or language or processing problem, it's an unmitigated disaster. Even many general education students are lost and giving up.

I'm just looking up the testing results, and they are abysmal for all types of different learners.
 
http://dianeravitch.net/2013/08/23/can-you-explain-the-code-of-hammurabi-and-a-ziggurat/


Here's a blog post on the 1st grade common core curriculum:

Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology

This Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Early World Civilizations contains background information and resources that the teacher will need to implement Domain 4, including an alignment chart for the domain to the Common Core State Standards; an introduction to the domain including necessary background information for teachers, a list of domain components, a core vocabulary list for the domain, and planning aids and resources; 16 lessons including objectives, read-alouds, discussion questions, and extension activities; a Pausing Point; a domain review; a domain assessment; culminating activities; and teacher resources. By the end of this domain, students will be able to:

“Locate the area known as Mesopotamia on
a world map or globe and identify it as part
of Asia;

Explain the
importance of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the use of
canals to support farming and the development
of the city of Babylon;

Describe the city of
Babylon and the Hanging Gardens;

Identify cuneiform as the system of writing used in
Mesopotamia;

Explain why a written
language is important to the development of a
civilization;

Explain the significance of the
Code of Hammurabi;

Explain why rules and laws
are important to the development of a
civilization;

Explain the ways in which a
leader is important to the development of a
civilization;

Explain the significance
of gods/goddesses, ziggurats, temples, and
priests in Mesopotamia;

Describe key
components of a civilization;

Identify Mesopotamia as
the “Cradle of Civilization”;

Describe how a civilization evolves
and changes over time;

Locate Egypt on a world
map or globe and identify it as a part of
Africa;

Explain the importance of the
Nile River and how its floods were important
for farming;

Identify hieroglyphics as the
system of writing used in ancient Egypt;

Explain the significance of gods/goddesses in ancient
Egypt; Identify pyramids and explain their
significance in ancient Egypt;

Describe how
the pyramids were built; Explain that much of
Egypt is in the Sahara Desert;

Identify the Sphinx and explain its
significance in ancient Egypt;

Identify Hatshepsut as a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and
explain her significance as pharaoh;

Identify Tutankhamun as a pharaoh of ancient Egypt
and explain his significance;

Explain that much of what we know about ancient
Egypt is because of the work of
archaeologists;

Identify
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as major monotheistic world
religions;

Locate Jerusalem, Israel, and the
area known as the Middle East on a
map;

Define monotheism as the belief in one
God;

Identify the Western Wall (or the
Wailing Wall) as associated with Judaism, the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre with Christianity, and the Dome of
the Rock with Islam;

Identify the Hebrews as the ancient people who
were descendants of Abraham;

Explain that followers of Judaism are called Jewish
people and the term Jewish is used to describe practices or
objects associated with Judaism;

Identify the Star of
David as a six-pointed star and a symbol of
Judaism; Identify the
Torah as an important part of the Hebrew scriptures;

Identify that a Jewish house of
worship is called a synagogue or temple;
Identify Moses as a teacher who
long ago led the Jewish people out of Egypt
in an event referred to as the Exodus;

Explain that, according to an important story in the
Torah, Moses received the Ten Commandments
from God and that the Ten Commandments are rules that
tell people how to behave or live their
lives;

Identify important
Jewish holidays such as Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom
Kippur, and Hanukkah;

Explain that Christianity developed after
Judaism; Explain that followers of
Christianity are called Christians;

Recognize the cross as a symbol of Christianity;

Identify the Bible as the Christian
holy book;

Identify that a Christian house
of worship is called a church;

Identify that Christians believe Jesus
to be the Messiah and the son of God;

Identify important Christian
holidays, such as Easter and Christmas;
Recognize that both Christians and
Jewish people follow the Ten Commandments;

Explain that Islam originated in Arabia;
Explain that followers of Islam are
called Muslims;

Identify the crescent and star
as symbols of Islam;

Identify the Qur’an as the holy book of Islam,
containing laws for daily living and many
stories that appear in Jewish and Christian
holy books;

Identify that a Muslim place of
worship is called a mosque;

Identify that Muslims believe that Moses and
Jesus were prophets but believe that Muhammad
was the last and greatest of the
prophets;

Identify important Muslim holidays,
such as Ramadan and Eid-ul-fitr;

Use narrative language to describe (orally or in
writing) characters, setting, things, events, actions, a
scene, or facts from a fiction read-aloud;

Identify who is telling the story
at various points in a fiction read-aloud;

Ask and answer questions (e.g., who, what, where,
when), orally or in writing, requiring
literal recall and understanding of the details and/or
facts of a nonfiction/informational
read-aloud;

Answer questions
that require making interpretations, judgments, or
giving opinions about what is heard in a
nonfiction/informational read-aloud,
including answering why questions that require
recognizing cause/effect
relationships;

Identify the main topic and
retell key details of a
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Describe the
connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or
pieces of information in a
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Ask and answer questions about unknown words and
phrases in nonfiction/informational
read-alouds and discussions;

Use illustrations and details in a nonfiction/informational
read-aloud to describe its key
ideas;

Compare and contrast (orally or
in writing) similarities and differences
within a single nonfiction/informational
read-aloud or between two or more
nonfiction/informational read-alouds;

Listen to and demonstrate understanding of
nonfiction/informational read-alouds of
appropriate complexity for grades 1–3;

With guidance and support from adults, focus on a
topic, respond to questions and suggestions
from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as
needed;

Make personal
connections (orally or in writing) to events or
experiences in a fiction or nonfiction/informational
read-aloud, and/or make connections among
several read-alouds;

With assistance, categorize and organize facts and
information within a given domain to answer
questions;

Use agreed-upon rules for group
discussion (e.g., look at and listen to the
speaker, raise hand to speak, take turns, say
“excuse me” or “please,” etc.);

Carry on and participate in a conversation over at least
six turns, staying on topic, initiating
comments or responding to a partner’s comments, with
either an adult or another child of the same
age;

Ask questions to
clarify information about the topic in a fiction or
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Ask and answer questions (e.g.,
who, what, where, when), orally or in writing, requiring
literal recall and understanding of the details and/or
facts of a fiction or
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Ask questions to clarify directions, exercises,
classroom routines, and/or what a speaker
says about a topic;

Describe people, places,
things, and events with relevant details,
expressing ideas and feelings
clearly;

Add drawing or other visual displays
to oral or written descriptions when
appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and
feelings;

Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation;
Identify real-life connections between words and
their use (e.g., note places at home that are
cozy);

Learn the meaning of
common sayings and phrases;

Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to
texts, including using frequently occurring
conjunctions to signal simple relationships
(e.g., because) Identify new meanings for
familiar words and apply them
accurately;

Prior to listening to
an informational read-aloud, identify what
they know about a given topic;

Share writing with others;

With assistance, create and interpret timelines
and lifelines related to an informational
read-aloud;

Demonstrate understanding of
literary language such as setting;

While listening to an informational read-aloud,
orally predict what will happen next in the
read-aloud based on the text heard thus far,
and then compare the actual outcome to the
prediction; and Use personal pronouns
orally.

This material is aligned with E.D. Hirsch’s Core
Knowledge curriculum. Rupert Murdoch’s Amplify division (run by
Joel Klein) paid an unspecified amount for a 20-year right to the
professional development resources and curriculum
materials for Core Knowledge from K-3, with the intention
of building out resources for grades 4 and 5. Thus, all curriculum
resources purchased to teach these grades will be paid to
Amplify.


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My college professor does a mix of blackboard teaching and group work. Usually its one student in the group to ask a question because they're all on the same problem. It works great when there's some one who gets it to explain it but if no one does, then they all give up. I was the go to person for help, and it helped me tremendously to grasp the material better, but not every person can play teacher in the group.

Why can't schools leave teaching to the teachers? Teachers know what works for them in their classroom. I couldn't imagine all my teaches teaching the same way like robots.


ETA: that's for first graders? I hardly understood all that stuff in my humanities class...
 

The test is really bad my son barely passed the test on nyc where you at what city or state
 
Common Core is another failure by those who support federal mandates.

Prior to the Department of Education being formed the US was #1 in the world in education. Far and away number 1.

Since then US schools have fallen to 26th place. Source

Centralizing anything destroys it.

I'm just glad Indiana has wised up and suspended the common core because of it's insanity.

It looks like a few other states are backing out as well, it's about time too.

It boggles the mind why you state decided to do it like that, with all the evidence against it and how bad it's failed in every state it has been implemented in.

I heard on Public Radio the other day there are a few criminal investigations being launched looking into how the book companies have "wined and dined" their way into a few states and possible bribery and corruption issues.
 
Our school district has been flip-floopin on Math programs for years !

It seems like every year or so they roll out the new program.

At first, they just had regular math. The teacher taught the lesson/new concept. They did some pratice on the board. They did some pratice on worksheets. They did some pratice as homework. Regular normal math.

They they went to "new math" where anything and everything revoloved around drawing a diagram instead of just thinking with your head and using basic skills like addition, subtraction, etc. That used that for 2 very very very long years.

Then when those kids moved up to middle school, they couldn't do math ! So they had to re-teach the kids math using " Everyday Math " That was miserable, trying to teach 6-7th graders times tables, because they never mastered real math basics in elem school.

That didn't work out too well, so last year they went back to regular old fashion just plain math.

This year they changed it again and have moved on to Carnegie Math.

I like the one they are currently using. I've used it a few times with 6-8th grade RTI math and kids seem to grasp the concept a heck of a lot better. But we shall see
 
If that comes to my kids class they will be home schooled.

Teachers need to teach not have a kid try and do it.

Sounds like a train wreck.
 
Common Core is another failure by those who support federal mandates.

Prior to the Department of Education being formed the US was #1 in the world in education. Far and away number 1.

Since then US schools have fallen to 26th place. Source
This is jingoistic nonsense.

The US D.O.E. was formed in 1979 and even before that (well before that) the US was no where near #1 in world education. In 1970, 25% of kids didn't even go to school and of those who did, only about half graduated. Across the board, our educational outcomes have improved significantly since the formation of the DOE. source

Speaking of source, your link is to the PISA, which is an organization formed in 1997, what does PISA have to say about the quality of us education in 1979? I'm sorry, your source just doesn't support your argument here.

In the 1950s, the iliteracy rate in the US was 400% greater than it is now. For African Americans that number jumps to about 1000% worse. source and source*

Without some centralization of educational standards, more kids (who have no control over what state they get born into) might end up in places where public education dollars go to teaching them that the lochness monster is proven science and that men and dinosaurs roamed the earth together. source

That said, there's a lot of things we've done well in this country and some things that we're not great at.

I think Common Core is an approach meant to address the concerns many of us have had over the mindless repetition and unending rote drills of mathmatics and history facts.

As the previous post about mesopotamia and ziggurauts points out, students are required to integrate knowlege across diciplines and demonstrate synthesis even at a young age. IMO this is a far more useful approach than the mindless memorization of dates and names of 'important men' I went through.

The mathmatics program in our district had my daughter fully understanding multilication in kindergarten and algebra in 1st grade. My only complaint is that I wish they would have scrapped the cursive handwriting and used that time to build better proficiency in times-table memorization. Yes, I concede that memorization of basic math facts speeds the practice of more advanced subjects.

In the end ... it's less about what they learn and more about teaching them to be comfortable exploring new approaches to solving their problems (math or otherwise). A lousy year or two of math or science will not break them.

*Statistics are rough, owing to some rounding and my mathmatics being done in my head. They are given in good faith and if taken 'conversationally' one should find that they represent the reality of the subject fairly well.
 
Most students aren't ready for this level in 1st grade. It's developmentally in appropriate.

The testing results are showing that good students do well with this approach, and everyone else tanks.

So much for "No child left behind." This will leave most of them behind.
 
So my school district decided at the last minute to introduce a new math curriculum that is based around Common Core. Teachers took a crash course in it this summer and now it is being rolled out to 6th thru 12th graders.

It's so inappropriate for so many types of students that it's positively breathtaking that school officials could be so dumb and susceptible to fads.

The teacher is not allowed to help students. Kids are split into teams of 4, and only one is allowed to speak to the teacher. Each kid has a "role" and they help themselves through the process. Like one is the resource manager, one is the facilities manager, etc. The other kids are supposed to explain the problems to anyone who doesn't understand. One problem is 4 pages long.

And this is the curriculum in EVERY case for EVERY problem. For the next year.

For a subset of kids, this is probably a good learning method. For anyone with a disability or language or processing problem, it's an unmitigated disaster. Even many general education students are lost and giving up.

I'm just looking up the testing results, and they are abysmal for all types of different learners.

Sounds like they are doing the Kagan strategies of Cooperative Learning. It's nothing new and has been around for decades. It's a very effective learning tool when used properly. The only thing new is the mandate and that teachers can never help (if that's true). It wouldn't surprise me if it were true, though. It's sad that the people making all of the decisions have never stepped foot in a classroom.

I am a special ed teacher and am now required to teach the common core units of study to my 1st an 2nd graders who have learning disabilities. And if they don't show a year's growth this year, I am rated as an "ineffective" teacher. I have a student who was in a severe accident and had a brain bleed which affects vision and learning. But it's my fault if that student doesn't learn at the same rate as her peers. Phooey! These people are nuts!

I had to give my students an assessment today to gauge their learning on this current math unit. They all looked at me with that "deer in the headlights" look because the math is way over their heads and not the math we used to do which was based on their special learning needs. It's very frustrating!!!
 
Will we be given tips on how to help our children though this? Will we be told what they are learning so that we can support them at home? It's being introduced at our school but the only homework that comes home is simple math, reading, and spelling right now. My son is on 1st.

This stuff will really less with the kid's self esteem if it's too hard for them. :(
 
The mathmatics program in our district had my daughter fully understanding multilication in kindergarten and algebra in 1st grade. My only complaint is that I wish they would have scrapped the cursive handwriting and used that time to build better proficiency in times-table memorization. Yes, I concede that memorization of basic math facts speeds the practice of more advanced subjects.

Please do share what program that was. I'm sure many of our schools would be interested in using a program that has 1st graders fully understanding algebra by the end of the year.
 
Common Core is another failure by those who support federal mandates.

Prior to the Department of Education being formed the US was #1 in the world in education. Far and away number 1.

Since then US schools have fallen to 26th place. Source

I take issue with the US being considered low. We are one of the few countries that tests EVERY kids…and keep in mind how many countries that don't even educated all their kids. If you eliminated the scores of kids living in poverty, we are actually number one.

Aside from that, I agree with most of what you say. Common Core was written without one teacher on board and it's one of the many mandates in place to make public schools look like they are failing so reformers can push for more vouchers and charter schools. Translation: Backdoor privatization with corporate backed testing companies, curriculum companies, and future charter school administrators getting their hands on tax payer dollars.
 
I started homeschooling 20 years ago because the year my oldest was to start K was the year the local schools in VA tossed phonics out the window and went to the Whole Language program. Homeschooling worked so well I never stopped; two have gone on to college and two are still at home.

Most of the list that jodifla posted re. History we cover in Calvert's Fourth Grade curriculum, while reading Hillyer's Child's History of the World.

My dsis pulled her hair out with Every Day Math last year, and put her 3rd grader into a supplemental Saturday class with Singapore Math. Needless to say her DC was the top student in her regular math class because she actually learned.

While I'm not slamming your decision to homeschool, the problem is that when people like you leave the system…well, the system wins. The Common Core will not end until parents scream at the legislators that approve this junk. Again, I'm not saying your should have kept your child in school. I just wish more parents were involved and would tell the govt. where to go and let teachers do what they know how to do.
 
We started common core this year and it is horrendous! The whole "concept" is that subjects are "cross taught" so you might do a math word problem using the concepts that are being discussed in science or the english might be part of the social studies cirriculum.

In theory this all sounds good but when you're trying to help your third grader with her homework and you don't know exactly what the teacher is trying to teach, is it math or science or both, then it becomes a challenge.

I was told by a teacher that the common core is supposed to teach critical thinking and show that you can use critical thinking to solve any problem. I think we would all agree that we need critical thinking skills but you can't critical think your multiplication tables. Some things you just need to memorize.

In our case, this is the third "method" in three years. Last year was the "new math" which was just as bad. It's no wonder why all the kids are confused. I think we will find in 20 years that we have a generation that has no foundation of basic skills in english and math.

Christine
 


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