WINNEMUCCA - Twenty years ago a proposal circulated the country for "national standards" of education. The premise was that there are certain concepts and abilities that all students must achieve to be successful. These included various grade level expectations for mathematical computation and abstract reasoning, scientific understanding, reading and analyzing text, and writing. Fourth graders should add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Seniors are capable of analyzing and evaluating author's purpose. First graders understand the basics of condensation and evaporation. Such an uproar ensued that few people ever realized the contents of these standards as they held to the tenant that state and community rights in content learning rule.
Most states devised tests based on individual state standards. In Nevada 3rd through 8th graders took Criterion Referenced Tests; high school students were required to pass the Nevada HS Proficiency Exam. Creating the exams entailed rigorous study of each standard as committees determined if the concept was "testable", i.e., altering reading speed to match text complexity is not; multi-step mathematical computation is. Each question was generated, reviewed by groups and individuals, piloted, and if it met with approval, it went live on subsequent exams. Test scores were used to decide whether schools made Adequate Yearly Progress and if students had approached, met, or exceeded the standard. There was a 4th category, "emerging" for those who scored far below grade level expectations, but emerging sounds so like little birds popping out of shells that I often omit it.
Recently "national standards" have been replaced by "common core". Again the idea is that there are certain concepts and abilities that all students should attain. Changing the title made these more amenable to most people even though the basis of each is much the same. Common core are divided by subject and grade level with a strong dash of rigor tossed in. One problem is that if, let's say, multiplying decimals was formerly an upper grade requirement for teaching and now it has settled to a lower grade, many students in between will miss out on instruction, practice, and the opportunity to display competence. It's sort of like waiting to turn sixteen to obtain a driver's license and then having the age drop to fourteen. Since the child is of age and legal, he should be able to operate a vehicle without the practice we know that good driving requires: "You are fourteen so you can drive." "You are eleven so you can add, subtract, multiple, and divide decimals" even though you have never been taught.
Building Fractions: Decompose a fraction into a sum of fractions with the same denominator in more than one way, recording each decomposition by an equation. Justify decomposition using a visual fraction model.
You may wonder what this means. You must be impressed by the vocabulary used with this fourth grade common core standard: decompose and decomposition. Not your typical conversation starter for ten year olds. Students must be able to recognize the denominators in several different fraction ways (1/2, 2/4, 3/6) so that 1/2 = ¼ + ¼; 1/2 = 1/6 + 2/6. We have done the first step in more than one way, now we much create a visual. All of this is good mathematics, but is it what all fourth graders, many of whom struggle with simple addition, should be able to do. I had to read this standard over several times, determine numerous ways I could express it, consult experts, and then decide how it could best be taught. Whew!
English/language arts makes more sense. Perhaps this is because I taught 8th grade English but also because the concepts most often remain the same. It is the text that gets more difficult. These same fourth graders might respond to Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research after reading Where the Red Fern Grows. A high school student would be reading Anna Karenina. Either level would search for answers based on information in the text to support a response. No "I think" or "I believe" but definite, direct textual referencing.
The more you practice and discuss with your child, the better she will understand the concept and be able to apply knowledge. This review will also be good for you as you realize the intricacies of education. If your child's teachers appear panicky and flummoxed, you now have one of the answers as to why: overwhelming responsibilities to ensure that every child succeeds is exhausting.
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