Laura Chapman, a frequent contributor to the blog, comments here in response to an article in the Boston Globe about whether the Common Core was “killing” kindergarten:
THE BIG LIE: “The United States is falling behind other countries in the resource that matters most in the new global economy: human capital,” declared a 2008 report from the National Governors Association. Creating a common set of “internationally benchmarked” standards was seen as the best way to close the persistent achievement gaps between students of different races and between rich and poor school districts.”
THE BIG LIE: I have found only two international benchmarking documents in the early history of the Common Core. The first was in 1998 with comparisons of standards in two states and the math and science standards in Japan and standards available from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS). The second report in 2008. titled “Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring U.S. Students Receive a World-Class Education,” was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates and GE Foundations. The author was a professional writer of reports. The advisory committee included seven governors or former governors, CEOs at Intel and Microsoft, three senior state and large metro area education officials, three advocates for minority groups, one foundation, and five university faculty, only two of these scholars in education. The most important source of information was the data analytics expert at the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). In this report, benchmarking is little more than a process of: (a) identifying the nations that score high on international tests, then (b) assuming the scores reflect higher expectations, and then (c) looking at some economic descriptors for those countries.
The result is a set of dubious inferences– high test scores and high standards are predicates for economic prosperity. Dubious should be written DUBIOUS, especially because this publication was rolled out with great fanfare in the midst of the 2008 crash of the world economy…for reasons that have no bearing on international test scores, no bearing on educational standards, no bearing on the nation’s children and teachers and public schools.
Nevertheless, “The executive summary (p.6) calls for the following:
Action 1: Upgrade state standards by adopting a common core of internationally benchmarked standards in math and language arts for grades K-12 to ensure that students are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to be globally competitive.
This is a very big lie. It is a dangerously misleading one when tossed into a discussion of kindergarten. There is no way to internationally benchmark standards or tests for every grade or subject because the meaning of “internationally benchmarked” is limited to test scores on international tests in at most three subjects, no international tests yet in kindergarten.
On top of those insistent misrepresentations from the nation’s governors and those involved in the whole Common Core Experiment to save the economy is it not strange that we find no demand at all for more and better knowledge of geography, cultural history including the arts, political history, and world languages–all of which might actually bear on functioning with savvy and grace on an international stage?
If the only or the prime value of our nation’s children and youth is economic, we are back to the same wretched outlook on children as that which existed before child labor laws. The Governors are still using this appalling rhetoric, treating the nation’s children and youth as more or less useful and productive for the economy. The same for their teachers. What will it take to get a reversal of this narrow and attitude that “It is perfectly OK to think of kids as economically worthless, or worthwhile, or somewhere in between?
The real causes of the so-called achievement gap are the result of thinking that test scores are objective…when they are not. It is the result of thinking that humans should all be thoroughly standardized to perform in the same way, at the same time, to the same level on a set of test questions that only predict scores on other tests. And those tests and scores are the marketing tools of choice for the unregulated testing industry.
Test scores have been a major weapon in the arsenal of federal and state policies designed to produce, reproduce, and not to reduce the huge disparities in income and opportunities in this nation and to distract attention from real fraud and abuse. Children are not responsible for the fate of the economy. They did not tank the economy in 2008. Nor did their teachers.
This nation is in desperate need for more ample education and for more generous views of humanity than has come from the National Governor’s Association, the Secretary of Education, corporate leaders, billionaires, and the press. The press has become too lazy. This piece about kindergarten does little more than recycle talking points from easy to find and ready-made sources.”
This. Is. Brilliant.
Truth, the first victim in war, and this is a war, a war on our children, on education, and on the “common man”. Hitler was not the first to know that if you shout a lie loud and long enough people will believe it. THAT is happening ever day in every way.
Reblogged this on Exceptional Delaware.
Laura: Thank you, especially, for the below comment. I teach geography and history, and I LOVE THIS!!!! I’ve never thought of it that way before, and I WILL be using this argument when I talk to legislators and others about problems with CC and standardized testing. May I have your permission to use this quote in a meme?
“On top of those insistent misrepresentations from the nation’s governors and those involved in the whole Common Core Experiment to save the economy is it not strange that we find no demand at all for more and better knowledge of geography, cultural history including the arts, political history, and world languages–all of which might actually bear on functioning with savvy and grace on an international stage?”
Everything here is governed by the Creative Commons licensing agreement for the blog. I do not think permissions from me or from Diane are needed to circulate anything for a non-profit use.
Okay. I just figured I should ask. Thanks!
Great investigation, Laura. But as an observer of child development and a defender of childhood, I’m convinced that the problem goes deeper. This piece, at my blog, “Big Data and Little Kids: In Whose Best Interest?” highlights our obsessive compulsive disorder: http://ecepolicyworks.com/big-data-and-little-kids-in-whose-best-interest/http://ecepolicyworks.com/big-data-and-little-kids-in-whose-best-interest/
Yes. And the more political leaders feel the anxiety about the economy and standards of living, the more they turn to quick and simplistic “solutions” of measurement and control.
This is a bulls-eye! It strikes the heart of “Common Core” with lethal accuracy.
This is SPOT ON and brilliantly simple!
“On top of those insistent misrepresentations from the nation’s governors and those involved in the whole Common Core Experiment to save the economy is it not strange that we find no demand at all for more and better knowledge of geography, cultural history including the arts, political history, and world languages–
all of which might actually bear on functioning with savvy and grace on an international stage?
Characteristics sadly missing from the current generation of politicians at all levels.
Oh, as measured by internationally benchmarked standards . . . On any standards really!
Of course, we must fast track the TPP so corporations can make more profit while the American middle class will lose more good paying jobs as we import foreigners to replace them. It is such as great plan that nobody can even talk about it.
Or even see it!
Ed reformers in Ohio lost all interest in the Common Core once the tests were in place.
We’re back to charters and vouchers, 24/7.
Public schools really got a lot of attention for that 6 months prior to Testing Season, though, I must say. We’ll probably see another political campaign launch with the release of the scores.
The whole “competition” thing is a farce, and rang hollow as soon as I heard the “hope and change” president use it. India…really? China? These are the countries American children are being common cored for? With no discussion regarding how these nations are really able to create their growing economies (a strong well paid working class??? Think so?), the true nature of “college and career ready” (ask: “according to who; what careers; what of college debt…”), but MOST of all, no open discussions about American based companies waiting to hire and pay the coming wave of skilled and well educated Americans in order to strengthen the middle-class communities that empower academic achievement to empower consumers to empower the economy… It ain’t about competition, it’s about compliance via common core coercion.
it is important to note that even those two thin studies say NOTHING about reading/ELA. In reality, the CC reformers are opposed to the reading/ELA curricula of high performing countries.
Speaking of “BIG LIES” here is so-called “Dallas Miracle” exposed.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20150627-fact-check-was-the-disd-miracle-real.ece
“The “Dallas Miracle” is how Dallas ISD described gains made by the district under Mike Miles’ leadership as superintendent.
In public presentations, on the Dallas ISD website and in opinion columns, Miles and his supporters said certain data proved success. Miles repeated some of those points in his resignation speech last week…..”
In my impression, NGA officials and David Coleman are neck and neck with Japan’s clueless Education Ministry officials with respect to promoting education for economic competition. Perhaps they should create in fantasy league of global deformation.
As I have said before, I am a fan of House Hunters International. I see many young people leaving America, Canada and Europe due to lack of opportunity and a high cost of living. These are the old markets. I see young people headed to Asia, the Middle East and some to South America, especially if they are entrepreneurs. It is still possible to start a business in these areas for $200,000 or $300,000, and this is an impossibility in established markets. Our economies are stagnating, and maybe this is one reason for the flood of misguided privatization. We need another dot-com era to revitalize the economy and save our public services.
To retired teacher:
As an old saying said that the grass is always greener on the other side, please remember that cruelty and lawless policy are the DANGEROUS part for SLAVERY.
All young people head toward DEAD-END market without a safe return. There are many young male and female people become slaves without a chance to return their homeland, because their passports were stolen or seized by corrupted police force. The worst case is that their bodies’ organs are sold by global black markets.
In America, at least, we can have weapon for hunting or for self-defense, like in Texas, and California. Most of all, we have many organizations for OUT- REACH to help those in destitute situation.
I wish that YOUNG Americans and Canadians are alert and aware of corrupted authority in Asia, and in Middle East. I do not know about Europe so I can not articulate about slavery and black market for organs. Back2basic
Sandra Stotsky, who was on the Common Core (CC) validation committee for English Language Arts (ELA), refused to sign off on the standards because they are mediocre and they were NOT internationally benchmarked as claimed, amongst other things: “Sandra Stotsky on the Mediocrity of the Common Core ELA standards”
http://parentsacrossamerica.org/sandra-stotsky-on-the-mediocrity-of-the-common-core-ela-standards/
Thank you teacher Ed for the wonderful info link.
Public, Parents and students ONLY need to remind themselves three MAIN IDEAS behind CCSS, according to Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform, 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality, University of Arkansas. Here is Professor Stotsky’ s profile:
“My professional background: I draw on much state and national experience with K-12 standards, curricula, and assessments. I was the senior associate commissioner in the Massachusetts Department of Education from 1999-2003 where, among other duties, I was in charge of the development or revision of all the state’s K-12 standards. I have reviewed all states’ English language arts and reading standards for the Fordham Institute in 1997, 2000, and 2005. I co-authored Achieve’s American Diploma Project high school exit test standards for English in 2004. I co-authored the 2008 Texas English language arts and reading standards. Appointed by then Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, I served on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel from 2006-2008. Finally, I served on Common Core’s Validation Committee from 2009-2010.”
THREE MAIN IDEAS about CCSS are:
1) Adopted and developed in a RUSHED manner
2)The MEDIOCRE quality of Common Core’s English language arts/reading standards, especially in grades 6-12, and what its LACK OF international benchmarking means.
3) Lack of TRANSPARENCY, the MAJORITY names of the 24 members of the “Standards Development Work Group” work for testing companies.
Here is the MOST IMPORTANT POINT from Professor Stotsky:
Both testing consortia, funded by the USDE, are CURRENTLY developing curriculum frameworks, models, and guides, as well as instructional materials,
– behind closed doors,
– with no public procedures
* for the selection of curriculum developers,
* for public comment and further revision, and for final public approval
IF what the USDE and these testing consortia are doing is LAWFUL.
In conclusion, all of us, parents, students and Teachers keep remind each other these main ideas behind CCSS in order to be affirmative in OPT OUT movement. Whoever is submissive to CCSS, that one is lack of intelligence and conscience. Back2basic
One of the best things about Diane’s blog is the chance to read what Laura Chapman posts on it. Thank you, Laura!
I agree. She really understands a lot of the dealings behind the scenes, and she does her research.
“Reformers’ Ultimate Goal”
Simply “college-ready”
Is really just all right
But “Mainland China-ready”
Is what they have in sight
If our august leaders had really wanted to improve learning and advance the progress of per-school and elementary school students, regardless of their current levels or proficiencies, they would have done only two things (though neither was, in fact, done):
1) Extend the school year to hold classes throughout the summer season,
AND
2) Nothing else.
This two-step “formula” would surely have improved students’ achievements and progress within any given span of years, far more, I believe, than what we have been doing instead. And, by the way, make no mistake – the second item is as vitally important as the first. If you aren’t doing #2, do not do #1.