In an email sent out today by the American Association of Christian Schools called “The Washington Flyer” they highlighted how private schools are being impacted by the Common Core State Standards:
Education Week, the American education news site of record, has been chronicling the Common Core Standard movement since its meteoric rise since 2009. This week, analysts published a comprehensive article which focuses on the effect of the CCS on private schools across the country. The CCS consists of uniform standards in math and English for K-12 curriculum. Since 47 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the standards, representatives from the major private schools associations cite “practical considerations” such as textbook offerings, teacher preparation, new assessments, college entrance examinations, and the credibility factor when considering how to adjust their curriculum. Among private school groups, Catholic schools have been the first to adopt the Common Core Standards on a widespread scale with over 100 Roman Catholic dioceses adopting the Common Core. Additionally, Catholic educational leaders have formed the Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative to ensure that the standards integration includes distinctive, doctrinal elements and supports church teachings. Others such as the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have also signaled that they will be assimilating the standards into their curriculums. However, some groups are hesitant to join this movement; a spokesman for the National Association of Independent Schools stated that “decision-making through a national effort runs counter to our very being.” Dr. Jeff Walton, AACS Executive Director, noted that while there is “no great track record for national reform efforts” some schools will feel the need to align with the standards because of external pressures such as credit transfer, voucher program inclusion, and college admission.
I’d like to take time to reemphasize that this isn’t just a public school problem.