Artifact Four

Artifact Commentary

In TE 818 we were assigned the task of choosing a curriculum issue to analyze with the support of our course readings. I decided to investigate the standards movement and its impact on our education system. I refer to both the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in my analysis and briefly share on my experiences as a parent of a child in elementary school.

This curriculum issue analysis challenged me to critically examine the standards movement in order to examine its root cause and the many ways the CCSS and NGSS frameworks, created as part of the standards movement, are impacting our larger education system (Standard 3; Goal 1). I refer to several theoretical perspectives to analyze the movement, including culturally relevant (or sustaining) pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 2014) and Labaree’s (1997) writing on the three purposes of education in the U.S. context (Standards 3 & 5). Through my writing, I address multiculturalism as a part of the curriculum and achievements (or opportunity) gaps with consideration to how the standards may or may not support marginalized students (Standard 1).

Upon reviewing this artifact, I had to wonder again at the statement I shared from the CCSS website: “The development of the Common Core State Standards is a success story of meaningful, state-led change to help all students succeed.” My synthesis paper is titled, “Storytelling for Change,” thus I would be curious to hear the story of how the CCSS have helped students find greater meaning in what they are learning and how they have supported all students in succeeding. It’s a lofty statement. How do we define success for students in our education system? How do we know the standards are creating learning that is meaningful for all students? What happens when we focus on the “how” of teaching and learning instead of the “what”? I believe throughout my portfolio, you’ll discover some of my thoughts on possible responses to these questions. They are questions I encourage us all to consider.

References:

Common Core State Standards Development Process. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2019 from http://www.corestandards.org/about-the%20standards/development-process/

Labaree, D.F. (1997). Public goods, private goods: The American struggle over educational goals. American Educational Research Journal, 34(1), 39-81.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84.