Matthew Huang

Writing 2

Lopatko

21 May 2023

A Breakthrough In Education: Common Core (Slideshow Presentation)

Introduction Slide: Hi everyone, thanks for coming to this meeting today. Looks like

everyone is here, so we’ll go ahead and get started.Today we’ll be taking some time to talk a bit

about the new Common Core State Standards that will be adopted into our writing curriculum

next Fall and how it’ll change learning in the classroom. This presentation will discuss the

question of “How does Common Core reshape elementary school education?”

The Plan: First we’ll talk about some of the notable authors in the field that have done

research and discussed the matter of Common Core’s effect on our classrooms and we’ll be

referencing some noteworthy points from their discussion throughout this presentation. Some

topics we’ll cover today are the current problem that has persisted in schools across the U.S. for

decades, and what Common Core is and what it’ll do for students and teachers. We’ll also talk

about the ways we can incorporate Common Core State Standards in the classroom and also

some potential downsides that might come with them. We’ll discuss the learning outcomes that

result from common core. Lastly, we’ll close with an FAQ section where I'll answer some

commonly asked questions about Common Core.

Notable Authors: Okay so we’ll start by talking about some relevant authors. First, we

have Jennifer Gilbert and Steve Graham who were researchers at Vanderbilt University in 2010

who found that elementary school teachers were not adequately prepared to teaching writing in

the classroom. Next, Karen R. Harris and Steve Graham again, who were both researchers at
Arizona State University in 2015, discuss the educational reform that Common Core State

Standards provides and its merits. Timothy Shanahan from the University of Illinois, Chicago,

compares and contrasts the similarities of the Common Core State Standards with past state

standards and the necessity for the shift in writing education. Lastly, Carol Booth Olsen, Robin

Scarcella, and Tina Matuchniak from the University of California, Irvine discuss a limitation of

Common Core standards that English learners are not adequately addressed in the Common Core

State Standards and are not prepared to meet the standards.

The Big Problem: According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress,

almost two thirds of 8th grade and 12th grade students were barely at or below the basic level of

writing proficiency in 2008, meaning they didn’t fully meet the writing expectations at their

grade level. And it’s not just students that are struggling either. According to Jennifer Gilbert and

Steve Graham, two thirds of elementary school teachers reported inadequate preparation from

college education courses to teach writing in the classroom (2015). There is definitely a

correlation between teachers not having enough writing-teaching preparation and the inadequate

performance of their students in writing, and this leads us to our big issue. Students and teachers

do not have the proper tools to succeed when it comes to writing in the classroom, which is why

writing instruction in elementary schools is in need of reform. Timothy Shanahan comments on

this issue further by shedding some light on how high school students are graduating without the

proper skills to succeed in higher education or a job, stating “Too often students graduate from

high school without the skills needed to succeed in either higher education or a job” (2015).

Writing is such an essential skill in any workplace and in day to day affairs and without a good

foundation in writing, one can be severely limited in their opportunities.

 What is Common Core?: In 2010, the Common Core State Standards were first issued

and 46 states adopted these standards into their school districts within 18 months. This is the first

time in U.S. history that there was almost unanimous agreement among states to reform their

educational practices according to the same learning outcomes (Shanahan, 2015). Responding to

the issue in education defined by Gilbert and Graham in 2010, Karen R. Harris and Graham state

that Common Core “refocuses educators’ attention on the importance of writing and the need to

teach it effectively at every grade level” (2015), by providing a “writing road map” for teachers.

The Common Core Standards, or CCSS for short, set out ten writing standards for each grade

level. While this isn’t very different from past educational standards, Shanahan states that they

are much more organized and have clearer descriptions of how students should be developing

grade level to grade level, leading to the rise of more stringent assessments evaluating the

educational progress of students(2015). These standards include skills such as narration, writing

to different audiences, the revising process, grammar, etc. All in all, CCSS intends to provide a

clear and consistent set of learning goals for students across the country, with the aim of better

preparing them for college and career success.

Improvements to the Classroom: The CCSS emphasize critical reading and analytical

skills. This shift encourages students to think deeply, analyze information, and apply their

knowledge to real-world situations. The standards focus on depth rather than breadth,

encouraging students to develop a deep understanding of key concepts and skills rather than

simply memorizing concepts. This approach aims to promote a more meaningful and lasting

comprehension of the subject matter. CCSS also ensures something very important for

nationwide education: consistency, consistency, consistency. The CCSS provide a consistent set

of expectations for learning across states, which helps ensure that students receive a similar
education regardless of where they live. So, even if they move to a different school, they won’t

have to be retaught everything and they can still utilize their past years of education as according

to CCSS, they should have a similar educational background as their peers in the same grade

level. This provides teachers a set of specific guidelines that they can model and adhere their

curriculum towards so that they are better prepared for how to teach writing and what to teach.

This can be particularly beneficial for students who move between schools or districts. The

standards also emphasize the importance of reading and analyzing informational texts, including

articles, scientific texts, historical documents, and technical materials. Timothy Shanahan states

that “it is essential that students be able to read texts with understanding and collect information

from such texts in appropriate ways. This means that students need to learn to summarize,

paraphrase and cite/quote from sources” (2015). This helps students develop strong reading and

comprehension skills necessary for success in various academic and professional fields

Implementation Strategies: In the classroom, the Common Core State Standards can be

implemented through several key strategies. Teachers align their curriculum and instruction with

the standards by identifying the specific learning goals outlined in the CCSS for their grade level.

They can then design lessons and activities that target these goals and focus on developing

students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Teachers can also integrate

cross-disciplinary connections, encouraging students to apply knowledge from different subjects

to real-world scenarios. To foster deeper understanding, teachers can provide opportunities for

collaborative and inquiry-based learning, engaging students in discussions, group projects, and

hands-on activities. Classwork that incorporates “extensive analytical and evaluative writing is

valuable because it promotes a critical understanding of a text and often requires readers to

revise their understanding as they read and write” (Shanahan, 2015) Some possible projects and
activities that teachers could add to their curriculum include research-based project where

students have to analyze sources and present their findings and literary analysis assignments

analyzing the literary elements of a text. Additionally, teachers use formative and summative

assessments aligned with the CCSS to monitor student progress and tailor instruction accordingly

based on the specific needs of their students. By incorporating these strategies, teachers create an

environment that supports the mastery of essential knowledge and skills outlined in the CCSS,

preparing students for college, career, and beyond.

Downsides & Criticisms: Now, onto some of the caveats that come with CCSS. One

major argument against Common Core is that it puts too much emphasis on standardized testing,

which can lead to a more narrow curriculum. This causes students to not really learn the material

and simply just learn test-taking strategies and how to apply the material to the test questions

rather than how to utilize them in the real world. Another argument against Common Core is that

it takes decision-making power away from local educators and school districts and centralizes

control at the state or national level. This makes it harder for individual schools to change their

educational practices if certain standards and policies are not received well by the teachers and

students. Also, some argue that some of the standards regarding reading and the types of

literature that are to be assigned to younger grade levels are inappropriate for such a young stage

of development to be able to comprehend and gain a deep understanding of. Moreover, the

rollout of the Common Core has been criticized for being rushed and poorly executed, with

inadequate teacher training and insufficient resources for implementation. With such a big shift

in educational standards, it’s difficult for teachers, especially those who have been teaching for

many years, to suddenly restructure the way they teach to adhere to new state policies, especially

since common core was adopted only recently, so there is very little history of its implementation
and therefore not much research on its implementation to aid teachers trying to transition to the

new standards. As Carol Booth Olson, Robin Scarcella, and Tina Matuchniak mention, the

Common Core State Standards emphasizes the idea that students should be taught equally and

held to the same expectations (2015). While this might seem very reasonable on paper, it’s unfair

for English learners as they are disadvantaged when it comes to reading and writing English and

they don’t get the proper additional instructional support they need to meet the same expectations

as those who grew up in English-speaking communities. Under CCSS, they are treated the same

as all the other students as there is very little specifics in the CCSS describing how English

learners can achieve the expectations set out in the CCSS and they are not given much priority,

so they have to work much harder to meet the same expectations as other students.

Key Takeaways: Okay, so to wrap things up, they key takeaways that you should take

away from today is that the implementation of Common Core marks a shift in nationwide

education, acting as a solution to the issue of illiteracy across the nation by giving teachers a set

of guidelines to model their writing curriculum. Common Core sets out standards of reading and

writing for each grade level to achieve, acting as benchmarks to make sure students are on the

right track. Common Core places great emphasis on critical thinking and consistency in

nationwide education and these elements can be implemented through activities such as

standards-based assessments and research-based projects. Yet, Common Core isn’t perfect and it

can lead to a narrower curriculum than before as skills outside of the standards outlined by

Common Core will receive little attention, as well as a lack of decision-making power in

administration since they have to conform to the CCSS, making it harder to implement changes

that could potentially help a certain subset of students, such as English learners, who are

expected to reach the same standards of everyone else under CCSS.

 Any Further Questions? (Ending/Wrap-up Slide): Alright, thank you for coming

today and listening to this presentation. I hoped it cleared up a few questions about the new

Common Core State standards and helped give you all a better idea of what to expect for next

Fall and why we’re implementing these standards. I’m of course open to any further questions

anyone has but if you don’t have any questions then I appreciated having all of you here and

enjoy the rest of your day.\

 References

Gilbert, J., & Graham, S. (2010). Teaching writing to elementary students in grades 4–6: A
national survey. The Elementary School Journal, 110(4), 494–518.
https://doi.org/10.1086/651193

Graham, S., & Harris, K. R. (2015). Common core state standards and writing. The
Elementary School Journal, 115(4), 457–463. https://doi.org/10.1086/681963

Olson, C. B., Scarcella, R., & Matuchniak, T. (2015). English learners, writing, and the
Common Core. The Elementary School Journal, 115(4), 570–592.
https://doi.org/10.1086/681235

Shanahan, T. (2015). Common core state standards. The Elementary School Journal,
115(4), 464–479. https://doi.org/10.1086/681130