The world is changing, and our children are going to need more than a knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic to succeed in this new world.
They will need to synthesize and analyze information from different sources. They will need to apply what they have learned to real-world situations. They will need to learn how to think critically and solve problems quickly.
To ensure students develop these skills, a coalition of governors and education leaders has developed the new Common Core State Standards. Their intent was to create a single set of clear internationally benchmarked standards that would ensure America’s students graduate from high school ready for college and careers.
In school districts across the state, administrators, principals and teachers are revising curriculum and updating lesson plans in preparation for the new standards.
“Parents need to be aware classroom instruction is going to look much different than it does today,” said Todd Brown, a curriculum coordinator in Idaho Falls School District 91.
In English, for example, students, even elementary school children, will read more informational text. They will spend less time reading stories and more time with reports, non-fiction writing and articles from journals.
“Students will be expected to not only learn the algorithms in math, but also understand the math concepts behind them so they can apply them to real-world problems,” Brown said.
They will be tasked with problems such as designing a city park using mathematical principles and developing a budget to determine how many benches to buy and where to plant trees and flowers.
The kinds of resources teacher use will be different, too. Instead of relying heavily on textbooks, teachers will use a variety of resources. Students may research topics online. They may pull material from several magazines. They may read original documents like the U.S. Constitution.
Even the test used to assess students will be different. The Smarter Balanced Assessment will measure how well Idaho’s students meet the new standards and replace the Idaho Standardized Achievement Test beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.
“Our students are up for the challenge, but parental involvement is critical to helping our children meet these new standards and achieve more,” said Jennifer Jackson, a curriculum coordinator in Idaho Falls School District 91.