Posted on 04/29/2020 10:55:14 AM PDT by Signalman
Lower performing students hardest hit
BOSTON – As we approach the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Department of Education in May, shocking trends in student performance should lead us to reconsider the federal role in education and whether the initiative for policymaking should be returned to local schools, communities, and states.
Breaking with decades of slow improvement, U.S. reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other assessments have seen historic declines since most states implemented national Common Core English and math curriculum standards six years ago, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.
While Common Core was promoted as improving the international competitiveness of U.S. students in math, our international standing has remained low while the skills of average and lower performing American students have dropped in both math and reading.
Nationally, fourth- and eighth-grade NAEP math scores were rising gradually in the years before Common Core was implemented (2003-2013). Post-Common Core, scores at both grades have fallen, eighth grade at nearly the same rate as it was previously increasing.
The declines are most acute for the lowest-achieving students, increasing inequality. Scores for students at the 90th percentile have mostly continued their pre-Common Core trend of gradual improvement. But the farther behind students were, the more substantial the declines, with the biggest drops occurring for those at the 25th and 10th percentiles.
“The sustained decline we’re now seeing, especially among our most vulnerable students, simply cannot be allowed to continue,” said Theodor Rebarber, author of “The Common Core Debacle.”
U.S. students fare better in reading than they do in math when compared to international competitors, but U.S. reading trends are similar to those seen in math, with gradual pre-Common Core improvement replaced by declines after Common Core was implemented.
From 2003 to 2013, national fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores were increasing at an average of about half of a point each year. Since 2013, fourth-grade reading scores have been falling by less than half of a point each year, while eighth-grade scores have dropped by nearly a full point a year.
Rebarber also finds that Common Core is a product of the misguided progressive pedagogies and biases of the education establishment that developed it. “Several of us allied with Pioneer Institute have been pointing out, ever since it was introduced, the deeply flawed educational assumptions that permeate the Common Core and the many ways in which it is at odds with curriculum standards in top-achieving countries.” Unfortunately, the disappointing results of Common Core—particularly for lower performing students—were predicted in 2010.
“Nearly a decade after states adopted Common Core, the empirical evidence makes it clear that these national standards have yielded underwhelming results for students,” said Pioneer Executive Director Jim Stergios. “The proponents of this expensive, legally questionable policy initiative have much to answer for.”
“It’s time for federal law to change to allow states as well as local school districts to try a broader range of approaches to reform,” added Rebarber. “With a more bottom-up approach, more school systems will have the opportunity to choose curricula consistent with our international competitors and many decades of research on effective classroom teaching.”
State Analyses (See Appendix)
The study also includes summary analyses of pre- and post-Common Core performance in seven states: Massachusetts, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, and New York. These states, chosen mainly based on their size and geographic distribution, generally reveal a pattern similar to the national results.
About the Author
Theodor Rebarber has worked on education reform and policy for three decades in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. He currently leads nonprofit AccountabilityWorks, which conducts education policy research and offers online testing services at AWSchoolTest.com. Previously, he was co-founder and chief education officer of a venture capital-backed charter school management company. Rebarber served as a senior staff member in Congress. He worked on education policy, including curriculum standards and testing, at the U.S. Education Department for the office of research and at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies. He has testified before Congress and state legislatures as well as developed analyses on a range of education policy topics.
Not at all surprising. Could have told anyone just this.
I see college kids coming in right now with criminal malpractice in their preceding educations. Sure, smart kids don’t need school to learn how to read and compute. But the less able students who have been taught through common core are terrible readers—in college!—and the math situation may be even worse.
Bill Gates admits Common Core failure, then doubles down on it
That was the plan all along.
SHOCKING! I tell you, absolutely shocking.
That explains AOC
Homeschool is the way! That is why the Elites want to stop it
Bingo!
And the progressives will say not enough funding. With education it is an inverse relationship, 2x funding = 1/2 results.
Imagine that. A curriculum based on ‘social justice’ and racial greivence that sucks in math & reading.
Must be ‘systemic racism’... Can’t do algebra but I hate whitey for sure!
It’s somewhat like the Midas touch in reverse. Whatever liberals touch turns to s**t.
DeVos seems to have done nothing. I get the idea she’s one of those only interested in home or charter school options and so can’t be bothered to take on the criminally poisonous pedagogy in both public and private schools, but more uniformly in public schools. (Home schooling generally avoids this nonsense.)
The kind of school reforms this country needs is only possible in a 2nd term with both the house and senate. The reforms will be so drastic (in a positive way) it will disrupt so many voters Trump would never win a 2nd term. Massive because it will necessitate major changes - eliminating the current structure, funding, curriculum, etc. It will also need to be initiated in Red states where the Governors can take the lead.
I think something could have been done, if not as much as we would have liked—and that could help kids in the system now.
I haven’t seen or heard any efforts along these lines at all.
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And yet the elites are demanding lock downs continue.
They can't have it both ways.
If the lock downs continue, homeschooling will as well.
I hope it is the border.
Everything (bar none) is second to that.
School choice would be a great sideshow.
I Japan, schools still work like when I was a kid.
A student walks to the front of the class, solves a problem on the board, erases it and then the next student comes to the board and is given a problem.
Every student knows where every other student stands (if he pays attention) and nobody fails in secret. Teachers can assign study partners if needed to help with known weeknesses.
Academic secrecy is the enemy of academic achievement.
The left always wanted a new Liberal “American Revolution” and have been trying it for over 100 years. They achieved a good portion of it in the last few MONTHS!
Thanks, Bill Gates, you ChiComBastard!
My daughter (native level Japanese, poor English skills, looked obviously America) was assigned with a Japanese girl (native Engish right down to the Texas twang, poor Japanese skills) whose family had just returned from a long posting in Houston. They both improved greatly in their (supposedly) native language after working together that school year.
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