An Analysis of Common Core State Standards 1

An Analysis of Common Core State Standards

Lauren Carr

EDCI 52003: Educational Theories and Trends

Dr. Chrystal Johnson

June 13, 2022

An Analysis of Common Core State Standards 2

An Analysis of Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have swept the nation since the early 2000s.

Unavoidable discontent with school performance and the push for school reform resulted in these

standards coming to fruition. However, CCSS wasn’t the first proposition for a unified approach

to content. During this additional attempt to reform the educational system, the federal

government aimed to create the ultimate tool for measuring student achievement: the national

education standards. The proposed national standards would outline the necessary knowledge

and skills to be taught for students to achieve high levels of academic success in various content

areas (LaVenia et al., 2015). Despite the valiant effort to increase student achievement, the

national education standards did not come to pass. Standard implementation failure arose due to

differing viewpoints on the standards’ purpose, past responses to unified standards, and the

initiative to reward states financially for creating curriculum frameworks (LaVenia et al., 2015).

Be that as it may, an educational tool did emerge from the previous one’s ashes.

Creating and implementing the Common Core State Standards followed the realization

that standard development should be at the state level (LaVenia et al., 2015). These widely

accepted mathematics and English language arts guidelines provide a list of content and skills for

teachers to introduce to students through instruction (Noddings, 2015). The overarching goal is

for students (actively participating in CCSS) to be prepared for future academic and professional

situations by fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills (Common Core

State Standards Initiative, 2022).

Even though CCSS isn’t a curriculum and shouldn’t dictate what is being taught in

classrooms, it has unintentionally affected students and educators in that area. Educators have

experienced their freedom and power of choice slip away under CCSS. This experience can be
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referred to as a policy cascade. A policy cascade occurs after a school implements a new

educational policy or initiative. Teachers adopt new instructional practices to meet the new

policy’s requirements regardless of their professional beliefs and knowledge base (Papola-Ellis,

2014). Comparatively, I have felt similar effects under the Indiana State Standards. These

standards have unintentionally placed restrictions on what is deemed appropriate to teach based

on the necessity of student achievement on standardized tests.

Common Core State Standards (for the time being) will continue in the American

educational system. It has ultimately provided a standard benchmark for student achievement

regardless of geographical location (Papola-Ellis, 2014). Instructional methods and strategies

have altered under this initiative; however, it is the state’s decision whether or not to continue

implementing these standards. Despite adjusting teachers ' instructional practices, many states

and a few territories (see Figure 1 below) continue implementing CCSS. Nonetheless,

participating states have gradually decreased since the mass adoption (see timeline below).

That said, the number of participating states will continue to decline as time goes on.

States that move away from CCSS will construct standards and measurement tools (assessments)

to fit the needs of their schools. However, this shift towards individualized state standards will

return us to our original obstacle: a disunited educational system. If this situation occurs,

policymakers will be forced to brainstorm a new approach to educational reform. Since history

continues to repeat regarding educational reform, I believe a new set of policies or guidelines

will be adopted and unintentionally affect educators’ instructional approaches. Based on my

experience, avoiding this consequence is impossible if standards like CCSS remain present.
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Figure 1
Map of CCSS’s current implementation (2022)

Figure 2
Timeline of the evolution of the Common Core State Standards

Note: Current state implementation is shown in Figure 1.

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References

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2022). About the Standards. [Timeline].

CoreStandards.org. www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/development-process/

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2022). Standards in your State. [Map of the United

States]. CoreStandards.org. www.corestandards.org/standards-in-your-state/

LaVenia, M., Cohen-Vogel, L., & Lang, L. B. (2015). The Common Core State Standards

Initiative: An Event History Analysis of State Adoption. American Journal of Education,

121(2), 145–182. https://doi.org/10.1086/679389

Noddings, N. (2015). The Common Core Standards. In D. J. Flinders & S. J. Thornton

(Eds.), The Curriculum Studies Reader (pp. 449-460). Routledge.

Paopla-Ellis, A. (2014). Teaching under policy cascades: Common Core and literacy instruction.

Journal of Language and Literacy Education [Online], 10(1), 166-187. Retrieved from

http://jolle.coe.uga.edu