Common Core Standards DRIVE High-Stakes Testing
Many people discuss how they are infuriated about the high-stakes, excessive testing, but like the standards and think they just need “tweaked.” I am certain these same people are not doing their full investigative research into the common core standards when they state this.
First of all, these standards are what drive the high-stakes testing. Oklahoma has yet to even implement a common core test, which happens next year 2014-2015, and common core standards DOUBLE the amount of testing for the students. Second, these standards are a copyrighted public license, which means they are NOT “tweak able.” The only organizations or “deformer” machines that have any authority over the standards are the NGA and the CCSSO. Please see link below to common core standards Public License, which includes the full disclaimers, liability waivers, limitations, and copyright warnings.
This is like one of those pharmaceutical commercials where the benefits to the headache medicine are to eliminate your migraine headaches but then continues for 2 full minutes with side effects, and possibly even death. The common core standards are an executed copyright written as-is, where-as, with all faults by two DC based organizations. I recommend you read their March 2010 PowerPoint presentation on the resources page, and pay very close attention to slides 10 and 11.
— Slide 10 states: State adopts 100% of the common core K-12 standards in ELA and mathematics (word for word), with option of adding up to an additional 15% of standards on top of the core. A state will have adopted when the standards authorizing body within the state has taken formal action to adopt and implement the common core. States are responsible for demonstrating that they have adhered to this definition of adoption.
— Slide 11 states: Educators must be given resources, tools, and time to adjust classroom practice. Instructional materials needed that align to the standards. Assessments must be developed to measure student progress. Federal, state, and district policies will need to be reexamined to ensure they support alignment of the common core state standards with student achievement.
Also, please note on the CCSSO website link below…it states exclusively that they are the organization established to enforce these FEDERAL policies, laws, and mandates. “Promoting innovation in Federal Law,” clearly does not endorse these copyrighted standards are any sort of state-led initiative!
These standards are a mandated policy backed and bribed with federal funding. They are a package deal, all or nothing, with teachers only being allowed to add up to 15%.
Also, please remember that these standards, the only copyrighted public policy in our nation’s history, were adopted and bribed to the states in 2010 by Race To The Top federal funding prior to them even being written.
Finally, we can discuss more specifically the Oklahoma portion of the common core standards. How the common core standards drive the REACH3/TLE (Teacher and Leader Effectiveness) evaluation system. Pay close attention to slide 6 which states a teacher’s effectiveness is based solely on increasing the quality of college a student attends! Then read down further starting on slide 9 which specifically states how and why common core drives the TLE system.
Therefore, concluding as stated on the OK.gov website that the TLE is a supporting tool and strategy used to assess a teacher’s effectiveness according to the common core standards and the TLE system is a state law.
According to the Common Core Standards website it states the following:
Q. Will there be tests based on the Common Core State Standards?
A. Yes. States that adopted the Common Core State Standards are currently collaborating to develop common assessments that will be aligned to the standards and replace existing end of year state assessments. These assessments will be available in the 2014-2015 school year.
In conclusion, the standards drive and promote the high-stakes, excessive testing and assessments. There is one and only ONE solution…to repeal the common core standards which are the framework and foundation of transformation. We need to reverse back to a true locally controlled educational system prior to NCLB (No Child Left behind), prior to the ESEA (Elementary Secondary Education Act) back in 1968, prior to all of the federal government and US Department of Education regulations. Yes, this slow progression of federal overreach has been discreetly implemented for a VERY LONG time folks. But the common core standards are the 9th inning and the final grand slam on our schools. It does go back even further, but 1968 was definitely a turning point toward progressive transformation.
We must rise up and resist the US Department of Education and the federal government from removing ALL local control by stopping the common core standards initiative.
· Contact your District Senator today and schedule a one-on-one meeting in order to inform them about the dangers and copyrighted education policy of common core before February 15th! The time is ticking and the buzzer is about to sound, let’s hit a home run and demand our legislators listen to the Oklahoma people and their constituents.
Find your District Senator here:
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