Massachusetts Raises Concerns by Swapping State Curriculum for National Standards
Published July 21, 2010
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Massachusetts approved a plan Wednesday to scrap its state curriculum standards for national ones amid fierce opposition from critics who say the new guidelines will “erode” student achievement in a state that already churns out some of nation’s highest test scores.
The state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 9-0 to adopt the new federal Common Core Standards -- promoted by the Obama administration – as part of its application to qualify for a portion of the government’s $4.3 billion Race to the Top funding.
Massachusetts is one of several states submitting applications for Round 2 of the program’s grants. The billion-dollar education initiative, funded by Education Department as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was announced last summer and seeks to strengthen the nation’s education system through a number of so-called reforms – including the establishment of a national curriculum.
But the new guidelines, which specify what is taught in math and English classes at each grade