Dive Brief:
- California adopted the Common Core math and English language arts standards in 2010, and many educators and experts still believe implementation has been limited by a lack of access to teacher training and professional learning.
- EdSource reports the state does not measure district progress on implementation, but test scores on Common Core-aligned exams offer officials a sense, and a team of educators working with districts statewide told the state board that high-quality, sustained training has been lacking, with similar issues expected for new science and history/social science standards.
- Many districts have struggled to offer professional development for teachers during the school day because of a shortage of substitute teachers or funds to pay for them, and state education officials hope funding for professional development can be included in a future state budget or taken from federal appropriations.
Dive Insight:
A major problem with updating standards is how long it takes to fully implement them. Career teachers have seen the adoption of one set of standards after another, often timed so that few teachers fully master one set before being asked to shift to another. While the tests tied to the Common Core State Standards have been roundly criticized, many educators have supported the instructional shifts the standards have caused. The same may become true for the Next Generation Science Standards, which have been praised for encouraging schools to let students act like scientists instead of just read about science.
The next administration may doom professional development efforts tied to the Common Core or the NGSS. The Every Student Succeeds Act returns a significant amount of power over educational decision-making to the states, but the U.S. Department of Education still retains some control over spending. If President Donald Trump wants to limit the Common Core, he could find a way to eliminate financial support for continued efforts to implement it.
