Kara Sears
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were implemented in 2010, with the goal of enhancing consistency in what K–12 students across the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics. The standards were developed by a team of educators and sponsored by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers. The adoption of the Common Core standards was a central requirement of the Obama-Duncan Race to the Top program, and states had to agree to adopt them to be eligible for federal funds. However, the Every Student Succeeds Act, passed in 2015, prohibited the Department of Education from influencing or coercing states to adopt the Common Core standards, allowing states to choose their own academic standards. As of 2023, 41 states continue to use the Common Core curriculum.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common Core Standards Implementation | Began in 2010 |
| Sponsored by | National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers |
| Aim | Provide clear expectations for student learning to prepare them for college, careers, and global competition |
| Impact | Significant, especially on curriculum and instructional practices across states |
| Opposition | Mounting since 2010, from both the left and the right |
| Political unpopularity | Among conservatives in recent years |
| Every Student Succeeds Act | Passed in December 2015, prohibited the Department of Education from influencing state adoption of the Common Core State Standards |
| States using Common Core | 41, as of 2023 |
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What You'll Learn
Common Core was never signed into federal law
While the Common Core standards have been politically unpopular among conservatives in recent years, with some states trying to move away from them, it is important to note that their adoption was never mandated by federal law. In fact, the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law in December, explicitly prohibits the federal government from interfering in states' decisions over education standards and clarifies that choosing academic standards is a decision reserved for the states.
The perception that the federal government was dictating what students should learn deepened when, in 2010, the US Department of Education awarded $360 million to two groups of states to design assessments for the common standards. However, federal officials had no role in writing the standards, and encouraging their adoption violated no laws.
The adoption of the Common Core standards was a central requirement of the Obama-Duncan Race to the Top program, where states had to agree to adopt the Common Core to be eligible for billions in federal funding. However, states were free to adopt their own standards as long as they could prove that those standards prepared students for college and work. The Race to the Top program has since ended, and the Every Student Succeeds Act makes it clear that the federal government cannot mandate standards, though Common Core remains acceptable.
In summary, Common Core was never signed into federal law, and states have the autonomy to choose their own academic standards, including whether or not to implement Common Core.
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Common Core was implemented in 2010
The adoption of the Common Core standards was a central requirement of the Obama-Duncan Race to the Top program, where states had to agree to adopt the Common Core to compete for $5 billion in federal funds. This resulted in almost every state signing up for Race to the Top and adopting the Common Core. The Gates Foundation funded the development and implementation of the Common Core, with costs estimated between hundreds of millions to $2 billion.
The implementation of the Common Core brought about substantial changes in curriculum and instructional practices. The standards emphasized a deeper understanding of key concepts, with a focus on fewer topics but in greater depth. Instructional practices shifted towards more student-centered approaches, promoting active engagement and collaborative learning. The Common Core also called for a greater focus on mathematics, with teachers narrowing their curriculum to focus deeply on the major work of each grade.
The impact of Common Core implementation extended beyond the curriculum and instructional practices. It led to changes in assessment systems and testing, with the development of new tests and the field-testing of the PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments in 2014. Additionally, Common Core necessitated significant professional development activities for educators, who received training to familiarize themselves with the new standards and instructional strategies.
While Common Core was implemented in 2010, it has faced mounting opposition from both the left and the right. Critics argue that it infringes on local control of education and have raised concerns about the potential for nationalizing education. Despite the controversies, Common Core continues to shape education policies and practices, with 41 states still using the Common Core curriculum as of 2023.
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The Every Student Succeeds Act replaced Common Core
The Common Core State Standards have drawn both support and criticism from politicians, analysts, and commentators. The standards specify what students should know at each grade level and describe the skills they must acquire to achieve college or career readiness. The Common Core initiative leaves it to individual school districts to choose curricula based on the standards.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a US law passed in December 2015 that governs the United States K–12 public education policy. The law replaced its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and modified but did not eliminate provisions relating to the periodic standardized tests given to students. The ESSA retains the hallmark annual standardized testing requirements of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act but shifts the law's federal accountability provisions to states.
The Every Student Succeeds Act prohibits any officer or employee of the Federal Government from using grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements to mandate, direct, or control a state's academic standards and assessments. It also explicitly prohibits any requirement, direction, or mandate to adopt the Common Core State Standards and gives states explicit permission to withdraw from the Common Core State Standards or otherwise revise their standards. The ESSA also sets new mandates on expectations and requirements for students with disabilities. Most students with disabilities will be required to take the same assessments and will be held to the same standards as other students.
The ESSA does not do away with Common Core. Common Core still exists in states throughout the country. A state can still decide whether or not they want to implement those standards or create their own. The new law prevents the federal government from mandating what a state decides to do with its specific education policies, such as requiring Common Core.
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Common Core was funded by the Gates Foundation
The Common Core State Standards have been a politically divisive issue in the United States, with critics emerging from all sides of the political spectrum. The Common Core Standards Initiative was led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association, with funding from the Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation provided $11.5 million in funding to these organizations, with grants to four institutes, including the James B. Hunt Institute ($5.5 million) and the Aspen Institute ($3.6 million). The Foundation also sent about $5 million to local school districts and local/state organizations.
The Gates Foundation also provided about $150 million in grants to a wide range of organizations, including universities, unions, state education departments, nonprofits, and think tanks. The largest category was "Think Tanks," which received about $67 million, or 46% of the total. The Foundation's support for the Common Core agenda is likely influenced by Bill Gates' strong ties to Microsoft Corporation, as the Common Core Standards require significant commitments to technology, which could benefit Microsoft.
The adoption of the Common Core standards was a central requirement of the Obama-Duncan Race to the Top program, with states agreeing to adopt the standards to compete for $5 billion in federal funds. The Gates Foundation funded the Common Core from its writing to its implementation, with costs estimated between hundreds of millions to $2 billion. Arne Duncan, as a federal official, was barred by federal law from influencing curriculum or instruction, but he did provide $360 million to pay for two testing consortia to develop new tests for the Common Core.
While the Common Core has faced opposition and criticism, it is still in place in states throughout the country, and the Every Student Succeeds Act specifies that states can choose whether to implement the Common Core standards or create their own. The Act also prohibits the federal government from taking any action against a state that chooses to withdraw from the Common Core.
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Common Core is politically unpopular
Common Core has become politically unpopular among conservatives in recent years, with leaders from Wisconsin to Florida to Arizona trying to move away from them. In 2010, the US Department of Education awarded $360 million to two groups of states to design assessments for the Common Core. This deepened the perception that the federal government was dictating what students should learn. With the field testing of the assessments in 2014, opposition kicked into higher gear and included new groups of anti-Common Core crusaders.
The adoption of the Common Core standards was a central requirement of the Obama-Duncan Race to the Top program. States had to agree to adopt the Common Core if they wanted to be eligible to compete for $5 billion in federal funds. The Gates Foundation paid for the Common Core, from its writing to its implementation, at a cost estimated to be between hundreds of millions to $2 billion. The Gates Foundation is now urging states to wait two years before using Common Core tests to make decisions about teacher performance, reacting to the growing opposition to Common Core.
The Every Student Succeeds Act mentions Common Core several times and makes it clear that the federal government cannot mandate standards such as Common Core, though Common Core would still be acceptable. The law also prohibits the government from taking any action against a state that "exercises its rights" to choose its own standards. Arizona’s State Board of Education took a symbolic vote on Common Core in October 2015, repealing its standards in a 6-2 decision. Indiana was the first state to show the political power of the anti-Common Core movement. The activist moms defeated a superintendent of education and several legislators on this issue. Oklahoma made the biggest splash when the state legislature voted to repeal the state’s earlier endorsement of Common Core. The governor signed the repeal, but the state board of education filed suit to nullify the repeal, and then the Oklahoma state supreme court wisely upheld the elected legislature’s repeal. South Carolina’s Governor signed a bill repealing that state’s commitment to Common Core.
There are several reasons why Common Core has become unpopular. One reason is that it is believed to be making simple math concepts “artificially intricate and complex with the pretense of being deeper, while the actual content taught was primitive”. Math experts are saying that Common Core standards are not preparing students for colleges to which most parents aspire to send their children. Another reason is that Common Core assumes that variation in learning occurs primarily because of schools and classrooms possessing disparate, and too often, indefensibly low standards. The basic notion is that simply having higher expectations is not enough to drive systemic improvement downstream. Studies of interventions that ratchet up expectations without regard for students’ prior knowledge have yielded disappointing results. Additionally, officials may use standards for political cover so that they can adopt unpopular policies. Furthermore, no one knows what standards as written will look like when they are ultimately implemented. Each transition from state to district to school to classroom allows for reinterpretation to fit educators’ beliefs about how reading and math should be taught.
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Frequently asked questions
Common Core was never signed into law. The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) began in 2010 with the goal of enhancing consistency in what K–12 students across the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics.
The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as Common Core, is a set of clear expectations for student learning to prepare them for college, careers, and global competition.
The Common Core standards call for a greater focus on mathematics. The standards ask math teachers to focus on major work for each grade, helping students gain a strong foundation, including a solid understanding of concepts and procedural skills.
The implementation of the Common Core State Standards has had a significant impact on education across the United States, with changes in curriculum, instructional practices, assessment systems, and testing.
