New Common Core math curriculum a disaster

[jodifla]

I'm not clear on why it's such a horribly bad thing for a large number of kids to fail the test or find it unusually challenging in the first year or two.

People (me included) feel that we need to raise the standards for our kids' education and expect more of them. So when something comes along that DOES expect more than we've asked of them in the past, of course the first time they see it they will struggle. No biggie. As they continue to be taught the more challenging material, they will learn it and do better on the assessments. I don't think a mark of a good educational policy should be how easy it is for kids to pass.

Many kids who fail tests think of themselves as failures. They give up and check out.

Again, this is good for a certain group of kids -- leaves other kids in the dust.

Or as in New York, vomiting all over their test papers because of the stress.

 

[cheer25mom]

Provide an example.

In the 3rd grade math test bank generated from ACT, the company contrated to do common core assessments there was a question about nutritional requirments. It stated the nutritional requirments for carbohydrates, fats, and protien per person per day in grams, and gave the nitritional information for 5 different products consumed by a person in one day. It asked the students to claculate the percentage of daily value for each nutrient. There was no further instruction on how to do this. We as adults are capable of making the leap that we would need to add up grams consumed in each category and then divide by the daily value to calculate a percentage. I don't think a third grader who has never been shown this situation before would be. Particullarly on a timed high stakes test with upwards of 50 questions at this level of involvment. There are no questions that just ask the student to perform single operation. All of them require this level of thinking and intuitive leaps like this.

In high school biology there are genetics questions that fill a whole page and require upper level math skills form courses that are not prequesities for biology. These are concepts that have perviously been taught in AP biology, not a freshman servey course.

this is the company given the rights to produce common core assessments for most states, and thier interpretation of what fits common core is what we will be accountable for. Thier tests are the benchmark common core will be measured by, and IMO ther are developmentally inappropiate.

 

[DopeyDame]

Many kids who fail tests think of themselves as failures. They give up and check out.

Then the adults who work with those kids need to do a much better job of keeping their work stress to themselves and of explaining to the kids what the purpose of those tests are. And the parents of those kids should work on helping their child have a better understanding of what the test do and do not reveal about their innate character.

I know lots of parents who never show their kid their standardized test results, one way or the other. Perhaps parents of the kids you mention should really do the same.

The tests should be designed to test what we want the kids to know, not to make the kids feel good about themselves. Not every kid will know everything, and that is valuable information that we as adults need to improve teaching and learning.

 

[cheer25mom]

I'm not clear on why it's such a horribly bad thing for a large number of kids to fail the test or find it unusually challenging in the first year or two.

People (me included) feel that we need to raise the standards for our kids' education and expect more of them. So when something comes along that DOES expect more than we've asked of them in the past, of course the first time they see it they will struggle. No biggie. As they continue to be taught the more challenging material, they will learn it and do better on the assessments. I don't think a mark of a good educational policy should be how easy it is for kids to pass.

They are suddenly expecting kids to function at this higher standard, which IMO is beyond what is developmentally appropiate, and not offering any support for gap between where they were last year and what common core expects of them this year. It is fustrating for the kids, and many of them feel like failures, stupid, ect. They see that they cannot do it and give up because the standard in unreachable without help.

If the test scores were truly seen as "no biggie" and schools were not being pushed to immediately show improvement over last year's scores on the old assessments there would not be so much pressure, but they are still held to the same score standards with new assessments. the kids grades are still expected to be just as high. Schools are at risk of losing funding, and being labeled as failing over this. That means many things, none of which are good for the school climate or your child's education as a part of that school.

 

[DopeyDame]

In the 3rd grade math test bank generated from ACT, the company contrated to do common core assessments there was a question about nutritional requirments. It stated the nutritional requirments for carbohydrates, fats, and protien per person per day in grams, and gave the nitritional information for 5 different products consumed by a person in one day. It asked the students to claculate the percentage of daily value for each nutrient. There was no further instruction on how to do this. We as adults are capable of making the leap that we would need to add up grams consumed in each category and then divide by the daily value to calculate a percentage. I don't think a third grader who has never been shown this situation before would be. Particullarly on a timed high stakes test with upwards of 50 questions at this level of involvment. There are no questions that just ask the student to perform single operation. All of them require this level of thinking and intuitive leaps like this.

In high school biology there are genetics questions that fill a whole page and require upper level math skills form courses that are not prequesities for biology. These are concepts that have perviously been taught in AP biology, not a freshman servey course.

this is the company given the rights to produce common core assessments for most states, and thier interpretation of what fits common core is what we will be accountable for. Thier tests are the benchmark common core will be measured by, and IMO ther are developmentally inappropiate.

If you expect your 3rd graders to be able to solve percentage word problems (which is what you discussed - and which frankly seems challenging but not unreasonable for 3rd graders), then I can't imagine what kind of math would be in a bio class that a 9th grader couldn't answer. Does it somehow require calculus?

 

[cheer25mom]

Then the adults who work with those kids need to do a much better job of keeping their work stress to themselves and of explaining to the kids what the purpose of those tests are. And the parents of those kids should work on helping their child have a better understanding of what the test do and do not reveal about their innate character.

I know lots of parents who never show their kid their standardized test results, one way or the other. Perhaps parents of the kids you mention should really do the same.

The tests should be designed to test what we want the kids to know, not to make the kids feel good about themselves. Not every kid will know everything, and that is valuable information that we as adults need to improve teaching and learning.

They are 20% of the student's grade in the course, at least for us. Our EOC tests are required to come from the common core test banks and we have to count them 20% of the final grade in the class. Of course they feel the stress. More and more districts will be going to EOC's that align with common core in order to meet the assessment requirments, and they have to be counted as part of the final grade and used to determine wether a child passes or fails the course. College scholarships, and even admittance is at stake and there is no support being given to help them live up to the new standards. No adjustment period where the scores don't count. Just sink or swim.

 

[cheer25mom]

If you expect your 3rd graders to be able to solve percentage word problems (which is what you discussed - and which frankly seems challenging but not unreasonable for 3rd graders), then I can't imagine what kind of math would be in a bio class that a 9th grader couldn't answer. Does it somehow require calculus?

It is algebra 2 level math in a class the only requires algebra 1 as a prerequisite.
It involved genetic distributions and they do not teach distributions in algebra 1.
As I said, one problem like this alone on a 3rd grade test wouldn't be bad, but you are talking 50-60 at this level with a 2 hour time limit. Any one skill involved in th eproblem is no an issue, but the child will need to make a table to prganize the data, preform the calculation, and keep track of which numbers go with what nutrient to choose the correct answer. I can absolutely see it as one of a couple of word problems on a test, but this is the one of the more basic examples of common core problems. It was less involved,and that is why I can remember it. There were problems in that test bank that covered half a typed page. It is unreasonable in the time limits imposed.

 

[DopeyDame]

They are 20% of the student's grade in the course, at least for us. Our EOC tests are required to come from the common core test banks and we have to count them 20% of the final grade in the class. Of course they feel the stress. More and more districts will be going to EOC's that align with common core in order to meet the assessment requirments, and they have to be counted as part of the final grade and used to determine wether a child passes or fails the course. College scholarships, and even admittance is at stake and there is no support being given to help them live up to the new standards. No adjustment period where the scores don't count. Just sink or swim.

I don't know what EOCs are, but I have to admit that this is the first time I've heard of the standardized testing counting for a student's report card grade. In that case, you obviously can't (and shouldn't) hide the info from your kids. Your concerns about the implementation make so much more sense now! I have no idea why your district would do that. I know in our district the standardized test results don't effect the kids grades (although the teachers still put far too much focus on them)

 

[jodifla]

Then the adults who work with those kids need to do a much better job of keeping their work stress to themselves and of explaining to the kids what the purpose of those tests are. And the parents of those kids should work on helping their child have a better understanding of what the test do and do not reveal about their innate character.

I know lots of parents who never show their kid their standardized test results, one way or the other. Perhaps parents of the kids you mention should really do the same.

The tests should be designed to test what we want the kids to know, not to make the kids feel good about themselves. Not every kid will know everything, and that is valuable information that we as adults need to improve teaching and learning.

No, the tests should be designed to find out what they've been taught. That's the only reasonable standard.

When you have to as a district send out a memo on how to deal with test papers that have been vomited on because kids are overwhelmed after hour upon hour and days of testing, then any reasonable human being would consider the event an epic fail.

 

[LuLuO]

No, the tests should be designed to find out what they've been taught. That's the only reasonable standard.

When you have to as a district send out a memo on how to deal with test papers that have been vomited on because kids are overwhelmed after hour upon hour and days of testing, then any reasonable human being would consider the event an epic fail.

Horrible!

 

[jodifla]

"The testing sessions—two weeks of three consecutive days of 90-minute (and longer for some) periods—were unnecessarily long, requiring more stamina for a 10-year-old special education student than of a high school student taking an SAT exam. Yet, for some sections of the exams, the time was insufficient for the length of the test. When groups of parents, teachers and principals recently shared students’ experiences in their schools, especially during the ELA exams with misjudged timing expectations, we learned that frustration, despondency, and even crying were common reactions among students. The extremes were unprecedented: vomiting, nosebleeds, suicidal ideation, and even hospitalization."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-principals-why-new-common-core-tests-failed/

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My mistake. I assumed that all states/districts had a written IEP. How are the needs of the student documented if there isn't one? Is the only measure of progress test scores since they don't have written goals to update?

I assume IEPs are written for all students deemed to "need" them, but not for all (non special needs) students. But all students will respond better to different forms of teaching. I know of one district that does write up an IEP for every student in their district, though.

 

[Buckalew11]

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.

I think it is more of an issue of, "We have one shot to educate this child." All these tried and failed types or learning have let so many kids down and they have fallen through the cracks.

I homeschooled during HS. I was happy with the education my child got at her school through 8th grade, but it was a private school so things were different.

I do a lot of teachers' hair. No one is happy with how they are to to their job these days. I feel sorry for them.

My sister teaches Health/PE in the HS setting in SC. She has to do this type teaching with groups and where they teach one another etc. I think she thinks it could work OK with the right, motivated students. She just does not have many of those.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

In the 3rd grade math test bank generated from ACT, the company contrated to do common core assessments there was a question about nutritional requirments. It stated the nutritional requirments for carbohydrates, fats, and protien per person per day in grams, and gave the nitritional information for 5 different products consumed by a person in one day. It asked the students to claculate the percentage of daily value for each nutrient. There was no further instruction on how to do this. We as adults are capable of making the leap that we would need to add up grams consumed in each category and then divide by the daily value to calculate a percentage. I don't think a third grader who has never been shown this situation before would be. Particullarly on a timed high stakes test with upwards of 50 questions at this level of involvment. There are no questions that just ask the student to perform single operation. All of them require this level of thinking and intuitive leaps like this.

this is the company given the rights to produce common core assessments for most states, and thier interpretation of what fits common core is what we will be accountable for. Thier tests are the benchmark common core will be measured by, and IMO ther are developmentally inappropiate.

I just read the common core standards for third grade math. There is nothing that says 3rd graders should be taught to figure percentages. Whoever is making the tests don't know what they are doing.

 

[cheer25mom]

I don't know what EOCs are, but I have to admit that this is the first time I've heard of the standardized testing counting for a student's report card grade. In that case, you obviously can't (and shouldn't) hide the info from your kids. Your concerns about the implementation make so much more sense now! I have no idea why your district would do that. I know in our district the standardized test results don't effect the kids grades (although the teachers still put far too much focus on them)

EOC=end of coruse test, and from what i am reading they are coming to most states to deal with assessing common core standards in middle and high school. They are one of the few means that meets the assessment requirments for common core.

 

[cheer25mom]

I just read the common core standards for third grade math. There is nothing that says 3rd graders should be taught to figure percentages. Whoever is making the tests don't know what they are doing.

It came straight from ACT, the company responsible for generating common core assessments for the majority of states when they become mandatory. In fact, this problem was handed out to parents as an example of what a 3rd grader should be able to know and do according to common core standards in material that came for ACT about the new common core testing. This is the company that will be assessing the vast majority of students. From what I understand, very few textbook and assessment companies have been given the rights to officially produce books and assessments for common core. The only option to meet federal accountability standards will be assessments that mirror those being generated by these companies.

 

[clutter]

"The testing sessionstwo weeks of three consecutive days of 90-minute (and longer for some) periodswere unnecessarily long, requiring more stamina for a 10-year-old special education student than of a high school student taking an SAT exam. Yet, for some sections of the exams, the time was insufficient for the length of the test. When groups of parents, teachers and principals recently shared students experiences in their schools, especially during the ELA exams with misjudged timing expectations, we learned that frustration, despondency, and even crying were common reactions among students. The extremes were unprecedented: vomiting, nosebleeds, suicidal ideation, and even hospitalization."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-principals-why-new-common-core-tests-failed/

In both their technical and task design, these tests do not fully align with the Common Core.


From the article. This is not a problem with Common Core. It is a problem with implementation.

It seems that the testing companies are the ones that went overboard with Common Core. The districts certainly did not do a good job screening the exams. I don't think the issue is with Common Core at all, and we need to stop blaming Common Core for testing companies and school district's failures.

And I agree that these tests have no reason to be included in a student's grade. The closest that my dd's school comes to that is by adding 10 points to the final exam grade if a student gets the highest pass rate on our state tests.

 

[Wendy31]

I think the idea behind "common core standards" is a good one - for example, every third grader, by the end of third grade, should know a common set of core standards regardless of school, district, or state.

However, how the schools & the teachers are being instructed to implement the common core standards is not working.

This may be a little off-topic, but it sort of goes along w/ the discussion as to how crazy schools are getting.

There are many schools who are no longer sending kids home when they are infected w/ lice. The reasoning behind it is because it affects attendance too much, & lice is really only a "nuisance" & not harmful. A school's attendance records affect their "bottom line" - if a student is out too much, he/she is not going to get the material & will, therefore, test poorly which could, in turn, affect the school's funding.

http://http://www.newschannel10.com/story/21539301/schools-no-longer-send-lice-ridden-children-home

Teachers can't just teach any more.

 

[cheer25mom]

In both their technical and task design, these tests do not fully align with the Common Core.


From the article. This is not a problem with Common Core. It is a problem with implementation.

It seems that the testing companies are the ones that went overboard with Common Core. The districts certainly did not do a good job screening the exams. I don't think the issue is with Common Core at all, and we need to stop blaming Common Core for testing companies and school district's failures.

And I agree that these tests have no reason to be included in a student's grade. The closest that my dd's school comes to that is by adding 10 points to the final exam grade if a student gets the highest pass rate on our state tests.

But this is what is REQUIRED of the school districts to meet federal accountability guidelines in regards to common core. They MUST use tests from these companies, or that mirror what these companies are doing, to comply with accountability requirments. I would agree that the standards themselves are not the problem, but the accountability documentation being required to comply with them. It is out of control.

 

[jodifla]

http://ccssimath.blogspot.com/2013/04/good-luck-new-yorks-children.html


here are several questions from the tests. Problem is the answers are wrong, or unattainable because the questions are so poorly written or developmentally inappropriate, or the student hasn't yet been taught the skill to figure them out.