At the Core

Common Core

At the Core

May 16, 2012

AT THE CORE: New research from Michigan State University suggests that the current Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics is up to snuff with math standards by those countries that routinely outperform the US in international math assessments. Extracting data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, Dr. William Schmidt created a set of "A+" standards for comparison. The result? A 90% overlap between the "A+" standards and current CCSS. Not surprisingly, in a separate comparison with CCSS, math standards set individually by each state came across as "less coherent and less focused"--a possible reason for the "'mile-wide, inch-deep'" characterization of K-8 math instruction. Watch the video of Dr. Schmidt's press release here, or download the Powerpoint presentation for a summary of his conclusions. Not everyone is convinced, though: see some of the backlash in "He Said, She Said" below.

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