Indiana Economic Digest: Common Core State Standards is heavy on the ‘Common’

By Shane Vander Hart

Heather Crossin who is a member of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, and Jane Robbins, a senior fellow with American Principles Project, had an op/ed published for the Indiana Economic Digest.  Below is an excerpt:

Part of the mantra recited by proponents of the national-designed Common Core State Standards, endorsed in concept by both Gov. Mitch Daniels and Superintendent of Education Tony Bennett, is that they will make students “college-ready.” Producing college readiness, however, could take place in one of two ways: 1) Increase the academic preparation of students to meet college requirements; or 2) decrease college requirements to meet students’ level of academic preparation. There’s disturbing evidence that Common Core is designed to accomplish the latter.

The Common Core seems to create a façade of academic rigor to hide the perpetuation – or even proliferation – of mediocrity. The new standards supposedly will produce students who are “ready for first-year credit-bearing, post-secondary coursework in mathematics and English without the need for remediation.” This suggests that all post-secondary coursework is created equal. But are the academic requirements of the local Indiana community college the same as those of, say, Yale, and if not, which level of coursework will students be prepared to handle?

You can read the rest here.

Originally posted at Truth In American Education