A post yesterday described the intrusion of Common Core into a Headstart program for babies.
This teacher tried but could not escape the dead hand of test-driven Common Core:
“I am just completing my 10th consecutive year teaching Kindergarten. I began the first year of the NCLB standardized testing. I previously taught grades 3-5, 10 years prior and strongly objected to the tests at that time. My principal who always praised the way I taught reading told me that I would have to restructure my program to include more workbooks and test prep.
“Luckily a position in K opened up and i was able to get away from the testing and enjoy teaching in a creative way again with thematic units and high interest books. But slowly, ever slowly that began to change. For the past 4 years I have been forced to use a “CC aligned” curriculum that I hate and must use the assessments from the program that is extremely developmentally inappropriate. And there are A LOT of benchmark tests, at least one every 2 weeks that have as many as 65 multiple choice questions like on the final ELA benchmark I gave just this week….. So now of course they would come for the babies next, not surprised, this is the trickle down effect of the poison of back mapping.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Did you all check out the Excel by 5 program I posted about yesterday. http://Www.excelby5.com
You will find links to news articles with many mentions of CCSS. Just search the site for “common core.”
One community comment strikes me-
“More communication between the school and the child care centers has helped define what being ‘ready for kindergarten’ truly means, especially with relation to new common core standards.”
I saw a flyer for an event called “Common Core Standards & Early Literacy (0-5 years): What Parents Can Do.”
I don’t find everything about this site alarming, but why are we talking about CCSS and 0-5 year olds?
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I hate to say it but the more teachers and administrators continue to follow the rules, the more this will take hold. Maybe we do need to try a system in which there are no more teachers just “facilitators.” Let’s put children on computers beginning in pre-K. All students from pre-K -12 grade will be on computerized curricula and take computerized tests. Parents will have no reason to question student grades because there will be no arguing with the test or the computer grading scheme. Certainly the “facilitators” will be held accountable for what the students do on the computer. Perhaps parents will also be held accountable for their children’s performance by having to pay fees for grades that aren’t up to snuff as demanded by the testing companies. The whole thing is getting more and more ridiculous. I hope young people going into teaching know what they are getting themselves into. I can’t imagine giving a kindergartener a 65 question multiple choice test.
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Profound ignorance. Profound missteps. Dire results.
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How do kindergarteners take mulitple-choice tests when the vast majority cannot read? Nuts.
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This year my 1st graders were expected to take “quarterly benchmark” multiple choice tests for district data mining purposes. For the first semester we were told to read the stories, questions, and answer choices to the children because they are assumed to not be able to do this on their own.
Then, in January, we were told to stop reading anything from the tests to the children. The expectation was that they all would magically be able to read the tests (some passages parsed out at a 3rd grade level) and answer the questions. I guess maybe Santa brought them magical reading ability for Christmas or maybe it was a Hanukkah gift?
Since I take the struggling children every year I knew that my little ones would bomb the test because they can’t read yet and, sure enough, they did bomb the test. When the district “curriculum specialist” guru (with about 6 years of teaching experience) came to help us “interpret the data” from the test she claimed it showed that our 1st graders were struggling with “main idea and key details”.
No, I said, the data did NOT show that. The data showed that, despited the edict from the district, a majority of our first graders were not able to read the reading passages, the questions, the answer choices, or write the required extended responses. They also were unable to distinguish between the obvious to me “trick answers”.
Why would you try to trick a 6-year old beginning reader on a multiple choice question? Why would you test a beginning reader with a 3rd grade-level reading passage? Why would you assume that a test could measure something that the majority of children cannot do? Why are we treating our children like cattle or crops?
This is what passes for “educational leadership” in school districts across the country and this is why we are headed for a massive, flaming, failure as a school system. Our new superintendent has doubled down on these useless “benchmark assessments” for data purpose, claiming they will help us raise the abysmal test scores the district’s students received on the new CCSS (called something else, though) assessments purchased from Utah.
The madness increases every year and common sense has been driven out the door.
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Chris,
I would add that the teachers’ unions- the AFT, specifically failed us as well by promoting the CCSS and allowing them to be developed without one respected child development/early childhood education specialist advising.
Even before CCSS and this data frenzy there was too many top-down dictates, imposed curricula, and other forms of micro-management that prevented teachers from teaching the way they knew to be best.
That’s why there are so many of these know-nothing gurus in administration, staff development, data-management and everything else beside an actual classroom. No decent teacher worth the paper his or her license and diplomas are printed on would go around peddling this crap as if it were gospel.
Tell teachers what to teach, when to teach it, how to test it-without any input from them- and then punish them when through no fault of their own it all goes horribly wrong.
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My child just finished kindergarten. My cousin, a teacher in Europe, said “next year the real work starts.” I explained that in fact he finished what I call first grade part A and that I expect part B to be more of the same and then some.
She was surprised to hear about the total lack of play in his kindergarten class but then again over there parents got a message from the district in the mail that said: “Please do not push your children to try to read in Kindergarten. If they are not ready, it will do more damage than good.”
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From my spreadsheets created to understand the overall structure of the CCSS organized by grade level (1,620 counting parts a-e), I find 88 Common Core standards to be mastered in Kindergarten.
My language of “mastery” comes from the CCSS stipulation that the standards be used verbatim. This is an unconscionable requirement based on the unwarranted belief that every student will leave Kindergarten, never having to go back over the content and skills from Kindergarten because they will all be ready to start working on the standards for Grade 1.
That concept has been translated into criteria for evaluating instructional materials in the ongoing Gates- funded effort to standardize education in American public schools. The Gates-funded criteria for evaluating instructional materials can be found at EdReports.org. An early version of the criteria instructed raters to use three “drop-dead” criteria. I guess some of the teachers who were enlisted as raters were both appalled and amused by the “drop-dead” language. The original criteria are now called “gateways” meaning the submitted materials were not worthy of further review unless they passed muster on each criterion. One of the gateways is focus, meaning a verbatim treatment of the standards and not adding content/skills beyond the standards Another deals with faithful progressions–not repeating content and skills treated in an earlier grade level or in a later grade level, So the verbatim rule has moved from the from the standards to the curriculum materials meaning standardized instruction is the primary educational and cultural value that the Common Core is designed to promote. That singular value is surrounded with much posturing about critical thinking and problem-solving, being college and/or career ready, international benchmarking, being competitive in a global economy, etc.,etc, etc, The spin is mind boggling, persistent, and calculated to make educators and students pawns of the testing and tech industries.
This ridiculous view of learning, this truncated set of aspirations, is the product of thinking of education as no different from adult training in corporate and military settings–identify the targets (college and/or career), then map all of the prerequisites, preferably in a manner that can be translated into a computer-based system of instruction with ease. Not surprising for a project nurtured into existence by the CEOs of IBM, Intel, and huge support from the former CEO of Microsoft.
Among the 88 standards for Kindergarten, 64 are set forth for ELA. These emphasize the conventions of writing and speaking–proper English–and vocabulary (17 standards) then phonics and print related concepts (14), with reading information texts next (10), then literary texts (9), then writing (7), and the combo of speaking and listening (7). After Kindergarten, first graders get more work on phonics and word recognition. The expectation for reading fluency is increased.
Of course, teachers can address multiple standards in a single lesson or unit but there are now “accountability” templates ready to use, with the standards entered, so teachers can confirm their “coverage” of every standard and enter a progress marker for every student in meeting the standard. For simplicity, some of these entries are color coded– green is good, yellow is caution, red means not even close. Look at the patterns and you get idea for organizing groups of students for some review or “differentiated interventions.”
One of the earliest of these spreadsheet systems appeared in some ELA “Curriculum Maps” enabled by a legacy grant from Bill Gates to Common Core (a group that actually pre-dated the CCSS). Those maps (curriculum units with lessons) were produced under the direction of Lynn Munson, formerly head of the National Endowment for the Humanities along with some people who had worked on the Core Knowledge program of E. D. Hirsch. Hirsch had produced a “cultural literacy” curriculum that predated the CCSS. It has since been rebranded for the Common Core market.
For Kindergarten mathematics, there are 24 CCSS standards. Most of these treat “number sense” which includes counting, operations called algebraic thinking, and base 10 understanding (16 standards). Additional standards are for geometry (6), and measurement /data (3). After Kindergarten, there are no standards for “counting.” Mastery is assumed, even for students learning English. Geometry is the only domain of mathematics taught at every grade level.
On a recent trip to a large school supply store, I asked a clerk to show me what they had on the Common Core. She was also interested in knowing what I thought about the Common Core; but she bent down in the isle as if she did not want to seen talking about the CCSS. We engaged in a subversive conversation. I told her I knew more than I ever wanted to learn about them and thought that were wrong from the get-go. She was not a fan. She knew that Gates had paid for them and she reported that most of their customers were not fans either. Even so, they were being required to display the standards in their classrooms. So, displayable versions were there in the store, various formats, many designed for multiple-years of use, the least expensive $20 per grade level.
The retail products in this store are conventional, widely used before the CCSS. Some have been rebranded as if compliant with the Common Core. The store caters to pre-school through about grade 7 where low-tech products are abundant– work sheets, workbooks, posters, stickers and certificates galore, card games for drills, manipulatives for math, simple science projects, artsy materials. They also do catalog sales for furnishings, and equipment for special education.
I am almost always traumatized by the visual confusion in this store, the enduring stereotypes images, and number of thingiets with glitter (in addition to glitter by the pound and in colors) and eye-boggling fluorescent colors (in addition to an abundance of those colors in paint, markers, colored pencils, paper, and crayons–some of the latter scented). The newest addition, a five-foot by five-foot rack stuffed with rolls of colored and patterned duct tape–not Common Core compliant.
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If I didn’t know better, I swear the common core is really about population control and dumbing down the masses designed by the elite.
I know this article is about the common core in the US but since we are talking about standardized testing and the kindergarten level, I have a story which will knock your socks off …
I live in Hong Kong and this place is a premier hotbed for standardized testing, so much so that is has already permeated to the kindergarten well before any other developed country. At his moment, to get into a ‘good’ primary school, the kids need to learn the solar system … off by heart. This is all good and well but sadly, the kids that I talk to just don’t understand why and all it is, is just memory. Sad….
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Check out TestingMom.com regarding the work of proud pre-K tester, Karen Quinn:
“This test prep kit disguised as play became the newest addition to her extensive repertoire of helping parents in their quest to prepare their children for testing and kindergarten.”
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Map tests have choices A through E for kindergarten students. The choices are read to them by the computer. I suggested that the parents of the students on my caseload opt their children out.
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They want to start young and track them through college. Why do they want to do that?
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“Common Corruption”
Common Core in Kindergarten
Coleman for the tikes
Calculus is worth the starten
Instead of riding trikes
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A kindergarten (German (German pronunciation: [ˈkɪndɐˌgaːtn] ( listen)), literally children’s garden combining the German word for children (Kinder) and garden(garten) is a preschool educational approach traditionally based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. The first such institutions were created in the late eighteenth century in Bavaria and Strasbourg to serve children both of whose parents worked out of the home.
The term kindergarten was coined by Friedrich Fröbel, whose approach greatly influenced early-years education around the world. The term is used in many countries to describe a variety of educational institutions for children ranging from two to seven years of age, based on a variety of teaching methods.
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SOS … SOS … SOS …
I’ve been following the blog from afar in Tasmania, the smallest & most isolated state in Australia. We have suffered almost 3 decades of Whole Language in infant grades & are in a weakened position with persistently high levels of illiteracy.
Our newspaper arrived on our lawn and we saw the headlines on page 5 of our local paper (Mercury) “Great minds here to help”. I follow this blog and know what is actually happening in the US so I entered PANIC MODE!!
The article’ read as follows:
SOME of the world’s top education thinkers are setting their sights on Tasmania.
Advisers to the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation advisers, the OECD and US President Barrack Obama are among speakers at the University of Tasmania forum next month.
They will look at the world’s best education systems to see what can be used to lift Tasmania’s standards.
“Discussions will focus on strategies for success in raising educational aspirations, participation and attainment as well as global trends in pre-tertiary education” UTAS Deputy Vice-Chancellors said.
The three day forum will draw on research and case studies from around the world.
Tom Bently, an adviser to the Gates Foundation, said international evidence showed “that it is important that aspirations are lifted to a critical mass.”
Special adviser on education policy to the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic and Co-operation and Development, Andreas Scheicher, said teachers must become life-long learners, sharing their knowledge with other teachers.
“Industry and employers should be involved in education and should and should demand well-educated school leavers because industry should want to move up the suppy chain” Mr Schliecher said.
Other speakers includeOxford University Professor Ian Menter and Henry de Sio, who helped run US President Barrack Obama’s 2ransformations, will he held at Wrest Point from July 14 to 16008 election campaign.
Professor Sadler said the forum would set the scene for the new Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment, which will look at improving pre-tertiary educational aspirations, participation and attainment.
The Transformative Nature of Education: Underpinning social and economic transformation, will be held at Wrest Point from July 14 to 16.
PLEASE HELP … very few people here are aware of the dangers.
Can contributors spread this around?
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So sorry forgot to tick the “Notify me of new comments via email” button. So here is a resubmission (couldn’t find where to delete the one above.
SOS … SOS … SOS …
I’ve been following the blog from afar in Tasmania, the smallest & most isolated state in Australia. We have suffered almost 3 decades of Whole Language in infant grades & are in a weakened position with persistently high levels of illiteracy.
Our newspaper arrived on our lawn and we saw the headlines on page 5 of our local paper (Mercury) “Great minds here to help”. I follow this blog and know what is actually happening in the US so I entered PANIC MODE!!
The article’ read as follows:
SOME of the world’s top education thinkers are setting their sights on Tasmania.
Advisers to the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation advisers, the OECD and US President Barrack Obama are among speakers at the University of Tasmania forum next month.
They will look at the world’s best education systems to see what can be used to lift Tasmania’s standards.
“Discussions will focus on strategies for success in raising educational aspirations, participation and attainment as well as global trends in pre-tertiary education” UTAS Deputy Vice-Chancellors said.
The three day forum will draw on research and case studies from around the world.
Tom Bently, an adviser to the Gates Foundation, said international evidence showed “that it is important that aspirations are lifted to a critical mass.”
Special adviser on education policy to the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic and Co-operation and Development, Andreas Scheicher, said teachers must become life-long learners, sharing their knowledge with other teachers.
“Industry and employers should be involved in education and should and should demand well-educated school leavers because industry should want to move up the suppy chain” Mr Schliecher said.
Other speakers includeOxford University Professor Ian Menter and Henry de Sio, who helped run US President Barrack Obama’s 2ransformations, will he held at Wrest Point from July 14 to 16008 election campaign.
Professor Sadler said the forum would set the scene for the new Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment, which will look at improving pre-tertiary educational aspirations, participation and attainment.
The Transformative Nature of Education: Underpinning social and economic transformation, will be held at Wrest Point from July 14 to 16.
PLEASE HELP … very few people here are aware of the dangers.
Can contributors spread this around?
LikeLike