Reform of the Common Core

First of all, we are arguing over whether or not the CCSSI system needs to be reformed. Note the word "whether." The subject requires a one word answer. I am arguing that it does, and Con is arguing that it does not. Again, this is a question that requires an answer comprised of one word: either "yes" or "no." My position does not require me to come up with a plan for reformed education. That would be almost impossible to do with the time and resources at my disposal. Rather, my purpose in this argument is to debate that the CCSSI system has clear and evident problems and needs reform. That being said, I will put a rough set of ideas for improvement at the bottom of my argument. With THAT out of the way, here are my counterarguments: The problem regarding CCSSI lack of attention regarding the arts If schools" funding was not determined by the CCSSI tests, then I would be completely fine with most elements of the tests. But one of the biggest problems I have with the system, as I thought I made clear, was that it based schools" funding off of their math and reading scores, while disregarding the achievements that students might have made in other subjects. As such, schools would be forced to take attention away from their arts programs. Again, the problem lies in the very purpose of CCSSI. While CCSSI is designed to determine math and reading standards, it also determines the funding that schools get from the scores of their students on these standards. As such, it unfairly benefits schools that emphasize reading and math skills, and disadvantage schools focused more on the arts. Tests are designed poorly and subject to mechanical difficulties While I admit that the MTQ (multiple choice question) approach allows for fast grading, it also reduces the educational value of each student to a number on a page. The problem with multiple choice tests is that they do not allow students to freely express their creativity, writing style, and application of their reading and writing skills in a more realistic setting. The test allows judgement of the student"s skills regarding the formation of an argument. I was asked by my opponent whether the SAT, ACT, or other Collegeboard tests are sufficiently qualified to test students entering college. My answer is yes. Those tests have free response sections, where students" creativity, intelligence, and writing style can be given sufficient judgement. Also, unlike the majority of students entering high school, colleges look at much, much more than students" test scores and grades. Students entering college submit an entire resume of activities and achievements on top of their basic GPAs, A.P. scores (at least the scores they want to submit), and their SAT/ACT scores. The SAT and ACT tests are only PART of what determines a student"s eligibility for a certain college. If these tests were all that affected students" college acceptance, then I would consider them problematic. But they are not, and hopefully never will be. My opponent cannot consider college applications to be even marginally similar to testing into high schools. Tests incorporate useless questions into them I agree that, were the questions for students of a higher grade level, the material would be acceptable for tests. But that exam was given to first graders, and the questions were pretty nonsensical. The first problem on the test shows five coins and a cup with the number 6 written on it, and then asks for a mathematical expression of what is being shown. If I was a first grader, I would have had no idea whatsoever what was meant by the question. What do five coins have to do with a cup labeled "6?" Most students would have come to the conclusion that the problem was" nonsensical. I understand that the cup was supposed to represent the container into which the coins were being put, and that the number 6 represented the maximum number of coins that could fit in the cup. But no first grader is going to understand this without directions. Expecting elementary school students to understand what this question means without guidance is ridiculous. https://roundtheinkwell.files.wordpress.com... Negative Influence on Curriculums According to Con, the CCSSI system does not influence teachers" curriculums. This is false. Teachers" salaries and ratings are heavily impacted by the test scores of their students. The tests are, at least somewhat, unorthodox. Common sense would indicate that, in order to keep their paychecks secure, teachers will modify their curriculums to focus on preparing for common core material. Testing material is generally what teachers base their curriculums around -- I"m sure that any A.P. student can attest to this -- and, frankly, I would rather that teachers in grades k-8 form curriculums based on more meaningful tests that let students express creativity, writing skills, and argument structure. Both David Coleman, the main designer of the Common Core system, and Bill Gates, who helped fund the system agreed that the CCSSI tests would heavily impact teachers" curriculums. According to Coleman, teachers will "teach toward the test." If the tests are badly written, then, logically, teachers" curriculums will undergo negative changes. http://teach1776.ning.com... Now that I have responded to Con"s arguments, I will introduce some new ones. One of the main reasons for adopting the Common Core standards is the improved preparation it will supposedly give students for careers in STEM. The CCSSI system clearly does not improve students" STEM skills. In fact, James Milgram, one of the only actual math analysts on the Common Core validation committee. Understanding that CCSSI math standards were completely inadequate and under researched, he asked that the standards be changed. The power of his committee to demand revisions was promptly taken away, and the math standards continued. In his own words, " there are a number of extremely serious failings in Core Standards that make it premature for any state with serious hopes for improving the quality of the mathematical education of their children to adopt them." Again, James Milgram is, most likely, the most skilled mathematics analyst in the CCSSI program. He is a math professor at Stanford, and has had experience in NASA. Clearly, there are serious problems with CCSSI"s math standards. http://parentsacrossamerica.org... The CCSSI system also vastly increases the number of standardized tests that students take. As I stated before, a student"s learning cannot be represented as a number on a test -- especially not when that number is open to statistical manipulative across the states. According to an article in the New York Times, states are consistently manipulating the test scores required to pass. While the Common Core was supposed to address "inconsistency in educational standards," it clearly has not come close to solving this issue. http://www.nytimes.com... Frankly, very few people are even marginally satisfied with the Common Core system. Only 27 percent of teachers feel confident about the CCSSI system, and about 60 percent of Americans oppose the Common Core standards. A large percentage of teachers are thinking about quitting because of the increased rates of testing. While I acknowledge that the public disapproval may be in part because of misinformation, the data is still pretty conclusive. http://www.gallup.com... http://neatoday.org... Plan/Advantages There are many improvements that could be made to the Common Core. First off, its power could be decreased -- specifically the amount of clout that CCSSI test scores have in determining the funding that schools and teachers get. I would also expand the test to include an essay section, if not more than one. These essay sections would be focused on building arguments and strengthening them with evidence and reasoning. I would assemble a team of qualified mathematicians across the nation to rewrite the math tests. Finally, I would set universal standards for test grading in order to avoid educational inconsistencies in our states.