Who Invented Common Core Mathematics? 

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are a blueprint for strong mathematical education. Developed over 18 months and released for public comment, these math standards have been adopted by more than 40 states and the District of Columbia. They aim to raise the bar in mathematics by making the underlying concepts more clear and by erecting a coherent staircase of topics for grades K-8. This may help prepare students for the college curriculum or at least for the job market. 

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Although the common core’s most obvious benefit is that it improves student achievement, the idea of a common core has generated much debate and controversy. Critics claim that the standards aren’t rigorous enough to make students ready for college, or even for jobs. Opponents point to high remediation rates in college, which suggests a need for better standards. 

Aside from the standardized tests and the math required to pass them, the biggest benefit of the Common Core is that it will allow more students to become STEM majors, which require a more robust mathematical background. Unlike the pre-Common Core days when students were expected to memorize long lists of arithmetic and algebraic equations, today’s students have to be able to apply what they’ve learned to complex problems. 

There’s also been a lot of talk about the Common Core’s “college- and career-ready standards.” These are widely interpreted as a code word for the core, but in fact they aren’t the real secret. 

According to surveys of teachers, the real key to improving student performance isn’t the new Common Core, but rather improving the quality of the informational texts they teach. That means using evidence instead of just the numbers to show students how to solve a problem. 

For example, a Common Core math standard includes a number of examples of problems with decimals. This is an indication of how important it is to learn the basics of fractions. 

It’s also interesting to note that in the past, math teachers and parents often served as the default tutors for students, as they weren’t trained in math. While this might sound counterproductive, it’s an important part of the learning process. Many students have weak backgrounds in math, and it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to find the answers they need on their own. Having more intuition about mathematics is a good thing, and recognizing different ways of doing things is a useful skill to have. 

While the concept of a common core may be impressive, its actual implementation is a much more difficult task. States aren’t required to adopt Common Core in order to receive federal money, and many of them have passed legislation or launched new initiatives to repeal the standards. Several have scaled back participation in state consortia, while other have withdrawn entirely from the program. Despite their criticisms, the Common Core has been endorsed by several leading educational groups and the presidents of major mathematic societies. 

Overall, the Common Core is a promising initiative, one that can help more American students succeed in their academic endeavors. However, the adoption of the standard has no correlation with the overall educational rank of a state.