WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMON CORE TO IMPROVE THE SUCCESS OF NGSS ADOPTION?

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has been one of the most prominent education issues of the past few years. The CCSS provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. Forty-five states, the District of Columbia, and four territories have agreed to adoption of the CCSS, but this has been seen as controversial on many fronts. Cast as a federal takeover of education that could reshape cultural values, some teachers fear loss of control over curriculum design. These concerns and others have people pushing state legislatures to rescind the agreement to adopt the CCSS. As of late December 2013, a news article proclaimed “Common Core Unrest Obvious in 17 States.” While some concerns raised may have merit, many proclamations against CCSS are rooted in misinformation or misrepresentation of facts.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were developed through a collaborative, state-led process, similar to the CCSS. Many of the arguments against implementation therefore may be similar. Misconceptions abound about CCSS – about what it is and what it is not. These misconceptions persist, in part, due to poor communication about the CCSS to the general public. We need to take a critical look at the obstacles the CCSS have faced and learn from them. For the NGSS to avoid similar hurdles, then, a concerted effort in effective communication at all levels – from the local school to district school boards up to state-level organizations – must be initiated. The CCSS appears to have been communicated from a top-down approach, focusing on state leaders. This has left those responsible for implementation and those most affected by the changes – parents and students - confused at best and misinformed at worst. By examining where and how misinformation and misrepresentation arose about CCSS, we will be able to avoid such things with the NGSS. Communication about the NGSS, therefore, should start with a bottom-up approach. By focusing on school and community-level communication efforts, we may be able to avoid some of the CCSS obstacles.