Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Common Core Changes in Teaching


According to a report from RAND Corporation, since the introduction of Common Core State Standards, math and English-language arts teachers have increased their use of standard-aligned online resources. About 60% of math teachers and 55% of English teachers used Teacherspayteachers.com for online materials in 2017, up from 41% of math teachers and 42% of English teachers in 2015. Findings also indicate that teachers' use of standards-aligned and content-focused online materials appeared to rise even though their use of published textbooks change little. Although most aspects of mathematics and ELA teachers' knowledge about their standards did not change, ELA teachers were less likely to regard the use of complex, grade-level texts as aligned with their standards in 2017 than in 2016. While researchers observed no changes in mathematics teachers' practices overall, mathematics teachers of low-vulnerability students reported that their students engaged less in some standards-aligned student practices in 2017 than in 2016; similar changes were not observed in reports of teachers serving more vulnerable students. ELA teachers reported that their students engaged less in several standards-aligned practices in 2017 than in 2016. More research is needed to consider whether teachers' instruction is changing over time and, potentially, in response to Common Core State Standards. 

Kaufman, J. H., Opfer, V. D., Bongard, M., & Pane, J. D. (2018). Changes in what teachers know and do in the Common Core era – American teacher panel findings from 2015 to 2017. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR2600/RR2658/RAND_RR2658.pdf

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