SI&A Cabinet Report

Survey of teachers finds few know much about common core

By Tom Chorneau
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012

A series of focus groups conducted with a variety of teachers on the pending implementation of the common core found a striking number knew very little about the new standards.

A report on the survey released Wednesday by WestEd's Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning raised the growing issue for state officials and district administrators that more outreach and engagement will be needed in the coming months to successfully bring the new standards in math and English language arts into the classroom.

The analysis also showed the clear need for new professional development and curriculum support to help teachers understand the differences between California’s prior standards adopted in 1997 and the new common core.

“Districts must explicitly unpack the two sets of standards, illuminating the gap between them and articulating the expectations under the new standards,” authors of the report said. “If there is to be a successful transition to the new standards, teachers must have appropriate materials and resources, whether they are provided by the district or whether, with the district's blessing, they are identified or developed by the teachers themselves.”

The focus groups, conducted by Belden Russonello Strategists – based in Washington, D.C., were held in Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Diego in October for a variety of teachers from elementary, middle and high schools that also had a range of classroom experience.

Among the findings:

• Math teachers in particular were clear there would need to be a lot of professional development, noting that “they had never been taught math in the manner necessary for successfully teaching to the new standards, that they had never taught in that manner themselves, and that they were not sure how to go about it. Thus, they said, they need as much assistance as possible from their districts and schools if they are to teach effectively to these new standards.”
• Middle and high school math teachers said that “all elementary teachers will need specific guidance if they are to adequately implement the standards; the middle and high school teachers based this belief on their observation that, even under the current standards, many students are entering the upper grades unprepared for math classes.”

The center also provided recommendations to state officials:

• To provide the professional development resources needed and allow counties, districts, and schools the flexibility to tailor their professional development programs to their local needs.

For districts, the center recommends they:

• Educate teachers about the standards: how they were developed and teachers' role in that process; the goals and structure of the standards; and the expectations for how the standards will influence teachers' practice. Teachers must be assured the CCSS will replace existing standards and they will not be required to teach to both sets of standards simultaneously.
• Engage representative teachers in planning how the district will implement the new standards. Educate all teachers about the implementation process, including how it was planned (especially, teacher involvement), the implementation role of the individual teacher, and timelines.

To read more visit: http://www.cftl.org/centerviews/february12.html