As a third grade teacher, when preparing for my year I look at what my students have learned and what they need to learn to be successful in the next grade. So for looking at the Common Core Standards, I chose grades 2nd, 3rd and 4th to compare. My focus is to compare how the standards build upon each other as the grades get higher and whether or not the mathematics seems grade/age appropriate.
Observation of Standards
Looking at the Common Core Standards (CCS), I noticed through the grade levels the standards do build upon each other. For example, in measurement for second grade students are required to read time to the nearest 5 minutes and in third grade they are to know it to the nearest minute. This shows that the writers are developing skills based on the previous grades knowledge. Of course, this is not completely consistent throughout the document, but overall there is a continuous building of skills. I also took note of the examples that were provided for many of the standards. These ideas help clarify what a teacher is to teach, but the examples can also be limiting for a teacher to think that is all they have to teach (that one example). The Nevada Standards and CCSD are very long in comparison to the CCS, but they are very thorough in showing teachers what is expected to be taught.
Comparing NV/CCSD Standards to CCS
As I mentioned before, the CCS are limited in their number of topics covered and explanation of what is expected as compared to our CCSD Standards. However, there are some similarities and differences among our standards and CCS.
Similarities
The CCS has a strong emphasis on Operations and Algebraic Thinking and Number and Operation in Base Ten. CCSD has a similar approach by focusing on these areas in the Power Standards. In addition in these areas, the expectation of student learning is similar. In CCS second grade students are supposed to work with numbers up to the 1000s, third grade they work with numbers in the 1000s and in fourth grade up to and into the millions. This strongly correlates with the CCSD standards. In addition when it comes to operation, second grade students are expected to add and subtract with numbers within 100, third grade students move to multiplication and division within 100 and fourth grade students develop multiplication and division further. These standards match quite similarly.
Differences
There are several similarities, but unfortunately there are a lot more differences. In the CCS, there is a strong focus on the topics mentioned above, but limited on measurement, data and geometry, especially in grades 2 and 3. For example, in grade 2 students are only expected to focus on drawing shapes. They only focus on 2D shapes and the cube. In CCSD standards, grade 2 students are expected to work with 2D and 3D shapes. In third grade, students are expected to identify the attributes of shapes, which match CCSD standards, but are not expected to discuss lines and angles. In fact, only in 4th grade in CCS are students expected to discuss lines, rays, angles, and symmetry. This seems to be a little late to expect students to develop all this knowledge in one grade level. CCSD standards gradually develop the concepts in geometry. The CCS seems to limit the information until higher intermediate grades.
Overall View
The CCS have positive points, as well as negative points. Looking at them as a teacher, they are definitely more focused and would probably be easier to teach than my current CCSD standards. There are not as many standards and within the standards the strands limit what I can teach. In addition, the examples are provided to help guide my instruction, which can be helpful when trying to decode the language of the standards. Looking at the CCS from a mathematics approach, I question the strength and effectiveness they will have on student learning. The CCS have a strong emphasis on number, but little on geometry, data and measurement. This is concerning since students need to apply their knowledge of number to a variety of areas such as these. Also, I question the appropriateness of the mathematics for the age of the child. In 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade standards I didn’t find too many inappropriate standards that students may not be ready to learn, but I did in kindergarten and first. I can see that the CCS are trying to build upon ideas as each grade gets higher, but are they expecting too much at some grades and concepts and too little in others? I think we can speculate what our children will know and what gaps they will have, but we won’t really know until we test these Common Core Standards out.
Sources:
Common Core Standards Document (www.corestandards.org)
CCSD Power Standards (Grades 2-4)
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