Teacher Autonomy

Excessive Testing

3RD Grade Retention

Narrowed Curriculum

A-F Report Cards

Loss of Engagement

Remed. Costs

TLE
Quantitative Measures

Common Core State Standards

More than Just Standards

Administrators are not opposed to accountability, Teachers are not opposed to evaluation, Parents are not opposed to standards or assessments, Students enjoy learning and want to be valued as individuals

Problems with CCSS

1.CCSS was not State-Led

Each of the original committees (ELA and Math) had 15 primary authors and 35 members of the feedback group. Five people did most of the writing: David Coleman and Susan Pimentel in English, and Jason Zimba, Phil Daro, and William McCallum in Math. Achieve, Inc., ACT, College Board, and University Professors filled every spot but one. No teachers were involved in the final product.

2. CCSS Is Not a Magic Pill

Its a prescription for a disease that doesnt exist

The search for a magic pill

Results may vary
Guaranteed to lose weight.... "You don't have to change your life, just take LIPOZENE, that's it...*
*...combine with diet and exercise.

What's the next "pill" to cure public education?

Common core state standards (CCSS)
Teacher and school accountability (TLE and A-F report cards)

Merit/Incentive pay
School choice (competition)

Is a pill necessary, or are we just trying to give society a placebo so we all feel better?

What's wrong with all of these "solutions"?

"They are based on an exaggeration of the problem, a misdiagnosis of the causes, and a simplistic prescription that often does more harm than good."- Alfie Kohn

"Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution." -- Clay Shirky

"Our generation's Sputnik moment is back. Our country is in serious danger of falling behind." President Barack Obama

"For me, it is a massive wake up call." - Arne Duncan

2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

PISA Results Disaggregated

Caucasian students second highest in the world behind only students in Finland

Asian-American students out performed students in every Asian country, and only scored lower than Asian students in the city of Shanghai, China
Hispanic/Latino students first in the world

African American students first in the world

PISA Results Disaggregated (USA)

Poverty Rate PISA Score

Schools < 10%

Schools w/ 10-24.9% Schools w/25-49.9% Schools w/ 50-74.9% Schools w/ >75% U.S. Average

551
527 502 471 446 500

PISA Results Disaggregated

Country USA Finland Netherlands Belgium Norway Switzerland France Denmark Czech Republic USA Poverty Rate <10% 3.4% 9.0% 6.7% 3.6% 6.8% 7.3% 2.4% 7.2% 10-24.9% PISA Score 551 536 508 506 503 501 496 495 478 527

What's the reason for American students' relatively low performance on international tests?
POVERTY and lack of resources!

School Improvement is

PEOPLE!

3. Cutting Resources while Increasing Standards

4. Lack of Teacher Training/Buy-in

5. Standards shouldnt be attached to school subjects, but to the qualities of mind its hoped the study of school subjects promotes.

Personal Qualities NOT Measured by Tests

6. CCSS will Increase Testing

Counseling Volunteer Instr. Tests given Interrupted hours hours

MS

7,624

820

460

5 weeks 2-3 weeks 3- 4 weeks

FA

1,600

350

118

HS

4,520

1,820

600

An 8th grade student at Jenks Middle School will take... District benchmark tests in SS, Math, LA, and Science

EXPLORE tests in four subjects

Writing OCCT(s)

Paper OCCTs in Science and US History

Online OCCTs in Math and Reading

EOI exams in Algebra, Geometry, or Algebra II

Test Comparison 2014 vs. 2015

Year Grade Reading OCCT Math OCCT SS OCCT Science OCCT Writing Total time/ % increase

2014 OCCT

Seventh

90 min. (online)

60 min. (online)

60 min. (online)

210 minutes

2015 OCCRA

Seventh

120 minutes (online)

180 minutes (online)

60 minutes (online) 60 min. Paper & pencil 60 minutes Paper & pencil

90 minutes (online) 70 min Paper & pencil 90 minutes (online)

450 minutes (+114%)

2014 OCCT

Eighth

90 min. (online)

60 min. (online)

60 min Paper & pencil 60 min Paper & pencil

340 minutes

2015 OCCRA

Eighth

120 minutes (online)

180 minutes (online)

510 minutes (+50%)

Standardized tests are a terrible way to measure the potential of a human being

Because human beings are not standardized.

7. CCSS will Kill Innovation

It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. Albert Einstein

8. CCSS may set performance standards. However standard also means like everybody else.

I believe in standardizing automobiles, not human beings. Standardization is a great peril which threatens American culture
Albert Einstein

If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Albert Einstein

Education should focus on developing childrens strengths, not fixing their deficiencies.

A school is not a business. A principal is not a CEO. Students are not a product.

What does College and Career Ready Really Mean?

Employees

Entrepreneurs

Individual differences Multiple Intelligences Cultural diversity Curiosity, passion, creativity

Schooling CCSS

Employable Skills

Individual differences Multiple Intelligences Cultural diversity Curiosity, passion, creativity

Schooling

Enhanced Human Talents

America is at a crossroads. We have two choices. We can destroy our strengths in order to catch up with others on test scores, or we can build on our strengths and remain a leader in innovation and creativity. The current push for more standardization, centralization, high-stakes testing, and test-based accountability is rushing us down the first path. What will truly keep America strong and Americans prosperous is the other path because it cherishes individual talents, cultivates creativity, celebrates diversity, and inspires curiosity. Yong Zhao, Author, Catching Up or Leading the Way