Blog Post 9

Works Cited

"Envisioning a common core curriculum." American Educator, vol. 34, no. 4, 2010, p. 37+. Student Resources in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Journals&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=SUIC&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA296963901&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=lnoca_brecksv&jsid=ab0b2626451b0ff380cff83f50289df7. Accessed 16 Nov. 2016. This source gives different views on the Common Core. Most of the viewpoints in this source say that they dislike the Common Core, but believe there needs to be a standardized core across the country. In the journal, it talks about each specific subject area and how the Common Core fails it. What I like about this source is that then they describe how to fix it in each subject area and what should be focused on. The source also has one person who thinks that the common core is good and that it does not need to be fixed. This opinion challenges people to think of a better core that the government will agree with. This person believes that there cannot be a better Common Core that the government will agree with. This source will add more information on how to fix the Common Core and it will give me opposing viewpoints. Opposing viewpoints allows me to disqualify those opinions with other sources.

Singer, Alan. "Results Are in: Common Core Fails Tests and Kids." The Huffington Post, 2 May 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/results-are-in--common-co_b_9819736.html. Accessed 12 Nov. 2016. This source talks about how the Common Core failed students. Seniors from 2013-2015 showed that their performance in math dropped and they did not improve their reading at all. Compared to 1992, the seniors were further behind. The source says that only 37% of students are prepared for college due to the implementation of the Common Core. The standardizing of education should not mean that only 37% of students are ready for college. Yohuru Williams, who is a Fairfield University Professor, says that the standardized tests are unfair to needy students and causes students in urban areas to fail. This source will give me data and examples of how the common core is hurting students. The source shows that the Common Core is causing students to digress and not be prepared. The data shows that there needs to be a change in the system.

"The standardized testing problem no one talks about." Washingtonpost.com, 17 Apr. 2016. Student Resources in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=News&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=SUIC&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA449824134&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=lnoca_brecksv&jsid=c738b4ff89ea3829a4703045afbbd60d. Accessed 16 Nov. 2016. This source is about the problem with standardized testing that is rarely talked about. The problem is that students do not care about them. If the students have a mindset that they only have to pass a test, and that getting a good score does not matter as long as they pass, then the students will not try very hard. This causes results to be skewed and not be a true representation of the students learning and knowledge. It also causes schools to look bad. Kids think it is cool or funny to not care about standardized tests. This causes more students to not try their best so that they can fit in with their peers. This source brings up another problem of standardized testing. I can use this source when I am describing why standardized tests are not a true representation of students and knowledge.

"The Test: Why Our Schools Are Obsessed with Standardized Testing--But You Don't Have To Be." American Educator, vol. 39, no. 3, 2015, p. 39. Student Resources in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Journals&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=SUIC&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA431349001&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=lnoca_brecksv&jsid=ef63160d256b50878b8efd0c1ff2d8cf. Accessed 16 Nov. 2016. This source talks about how standardized tests should not be focused on. Personal assessment and performance assessment is key. If a student can perform math correctly and pay attention, that is more important than being able to do 20 math problems in 10 minutes. The source also talks about how Common Core is not helping students as much as it helps businesses. Businesses can slap the title Common Core on a book and sell it to schools. Common Core has also caused school to buy new books so it meets standards. Buying new books has allowed book publishers to make more money. Th worst part is that sometimes the books that say Common Core do not actually follow the common core. This source lets me talk about who benefits from the Common Core. It also brings up what kind of assessment should be valued over standardized tests.

Urzillo, Robert L. "Prosperity requires more rational testing: standardized assessments take the art out of teaching and measure wrong skills." District Administration, Jan. 2016, p. 68. Student Resources in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Magazines&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=SUIC&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA440551114&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=lnoca_brecksv&jsid=99c8d693f5c156f10c669922e62d5368. Accessed 16 Nov. 2016. This source talks about the unnecessary stress that standardized tests put on teachers. It causes teachers to teach to a test and try to teach students how to test. This source explains how standardized tests stress teachers out, but it stresses administration even more. The results of the tests reflect on the school. The problem is that the administration only has standardized tests used as an evaluation of their job. This causes administration to be rougher on teachers and for teachers to not teach students about everything they want to or believe is important to know.  This source shows how the standardized tests put pressure on everyone including administration, and teachers. It shows that you cannot blame the teachers for teaching for tests. You must blame the system or the process that enforces it. In this case, that is standardized tests.