Liberal Arts
A FULL CORE CURRICULUM HELPS STUDENTS SUCCEED. Studies by ACT have shown that taking a full core curriculum, including four years of English and three years of social studies, greatly increases students’ readiness for college and work. Students who take the core curriculum in high school achieve higher ACT scores than those who do not, regardless of gender, family income, and ethnic background.
BROAD-BASED TEACHING HELPS SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. A liberal arts education can serve all Americans, including those who face the challenges of poverty, live in broken homes, or are adapting to a new nation and culture. All children who experience a broad spectrum of subjects are better equipped to become active, productive members of society.
Beyond the Basics, by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, explains the importance of focusing on more than reading and math skills alone. An essay in the report, by Brown University Assistant Professor Martin West, shows that the liberal arts and sciences are being marginalized in today’s classrooms.
Choices, Changes, and Challenges: Curriculum and Instruction in the NCLB Era, a report by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), examines the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on classrooms over a five-year period. This year, the CEP published a more extensive analysis.
The Nation’s Report Card, a study by the U.S. Department of Education, examines what kind of courses high school students are taking and how it affects their scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Common Core Executive Director Lynne Munson speaks with Susan Jacoby about her new book, The Age of American Unreason, on NPR. Listen to their discussion.
Diane Ravitch, Co-Chair of Common Core, discusses the lack of content within K-3 curricula in Tot Sociology, published by the National Council for History Education.
Core Knowledge Chairman E.D. Hirsch discusses the role content plays in learning to read, and the extent to which NCLB has driven content from the classroom with Public School Insights. Listen to the discussion.
Standards Based Accountability Under No Child Left Behind: The Experiences of Teachers and Administrators in Three States reviews the various accounts of teachers and administrators on the impact of standards based accountability in their schools in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
Blog
News
February 20 • In this Education Week webinar Lynne Munson talks about how the arts can play a powerful role in CCSS implementation. To register for the archived webinar, sign in here. Or view Lynne’s PowerPoint where she unveils high school-level TDQs comparing two works of art.
February 11 • This morning on Rick Hess’s Straight Up blog is a “thoughtful conversation” he had with Student Achievement Partners Founding Member Jason Zimba on CCSS, math in particular. Lynne Munson commented on the interview, and her views also can be read in today’s Common Core blog
December 17 • Check out Education Week’s article “Arts Education Seen as Common-Core Partner.” Education Week
July 18 • Common Core has announced that the New York State Department of Education has awarded the organization a third contract to develop 6th-12th grade mathematics curriculum and corresponding professional development aligned to New York State’s Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). News release.
May 7 • Common Core receives glowing reviews for professional development offered in Beaufort County, NC. Read the full story in the Washington Daily News.
April 25 • Common Core’s Lynne Munson comments on the pressures of high stakes testing and the effect it can have on student learning in Roberta Munoz’s article “Make it of Break it: High Stakes Testing Pros and Cons” on Education.com
April 4 • Common Core has announced that the New York State Department of Education has awarded it two contracts to develop
Pre-Kindergarten-5th grade mathematics curriculum aligned to NY State’s Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). News release.
April 3 • Common Core Creating Math Maps for New York State. News release.
March 27 • Common Core has announced that it is developing a series of CCSS-aligned K-8 curriculum maps in history and geography. News release.
March 21 • Check out Education Week’s coverage of Common Core’s “Truant From Schools: History, Science, and Art” event!
March 15 • Common Core releases data showing curriculum narrowing affecting all students.
March 9 • Common Core celebrates Virginia’s decision to abandon SB185, a bill that would have eliminated state mandated science and social studies testing for third graders. You can read more about this issue, and Common Core’s advocacy work, in this recent blog entry.
December 8 • Check out Education Week’s coverage of Common Core’s recent national survey of school teachers.
November 14 • Read Lynne Munson’s response to the latest NAEP results. Joanne Jacobs’s “Linking and Thinking on Education” and the Core Knowledge blog also highlighted her piece.