Benefits of the new Common Core curriculum are outweighed by significant implementation and training issues

By Sameeha Jilani
Executive Theme Editor
Carly Gaspari
Theme Editor

Beginning in September of 2014, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District began implementing the new Common Core curriculum for specific grades in elementary, middle and high schools. While the new curriculum may have many potential benefits for students, inconsistencies and controversy over teacher training and new teaching methods, as well as late implementation at the high school level, are all issues that need to be addressed.

The idea for Common Core originated five years ago when it became apparent that students in the United States scored lower overall on international assessments than other countries’ students due to non-uniform educational criteria across states. Due to this discovery, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) began developing a new, uniform national educational program.

According to MBUSD Executive Director of Educational Services Brett Geithman, students will cover fewer concepts throughout the school year under Common Core, but they will go into more depth while studying, and more emphasis will be placed on the processes that students use to arrive at the right answer.

Geithman says that the focus on critical thinking is based on the latest research by industry experts. While it is commendable that the curriculum is attempting to increase the depth of knowledge for students and placing a bigger emphasis on critical thinking methods, the curriculum has the potential to hamper its own efforts by limiting the breadth of covered material.

Common Core testing will take the place of the regular California Standards Tests for MBUSD this coming spring for students in grades three through eight and for high school juniors.

Implementation of Common Core for students in elementary and middle school is a smart decision because it means that they will be comfortable with the curriculum as they move into high school.

However, beginning Common Core for juniors at such a late stage in students’ high school education may lead to confusion among both students and teachers about how to adapt to the new material.

Additionally, it is unreasonable to expect students to maintain Costa’s tradition of academic excellence while transitioning to a new educational system with different standards and requirements.

The test does not have a textbook that aligns with the standards, unlike the previously used California Standards Test. The lack of standardized methods of teaching for the new curriculum leaves the potential for uncertainty about the best way to conform to new standards. These concerns are exacerbated by controversy over professional training necessary to transition MBUSD teachers into Common Core.

Even though Costa administrators are optimistic about the success of Common Core, it is clear that there are many issues that need to be ironed out in order to make the new program a success. The district should focus on better teacher training and look over the timeline for implementation in order to avoid confusion this spring.