Early Common Core testing will be a jarring wake-up call — what then? | The Lens

Early Common Core testing will be a jarring wake-up call — what then? | The Lens:

Early Common Core testing will be a jarring wake-up call — what then?

NSNO

Neerav Kingsland expects Common Core to deliver a rude awakening.

Here’s a prediction: When Louisiana students first take high-stakes exams aligned with the Common Core curriculum, no more than three out of every 10 children will achieve proficiency. How do we know? Students in Kentucky and New York have already taken these tests. And the results have been dismal. Louisiana students will fare no differently.

The poor results will leave policy makers with three options.

One option is to just rip the band-aid off and call it like it is. Label 70 percent of students as failing; rate most teachers as unsatisfactory, and grade nearly all schools with an “F.” There is some merit to this approach. It could force us to confront a tough reality: Our students, our teachers, and our schools are not achieving at nationally or internationally competitive levels.

My hope is that Louisiana educators and families will say this: We got knocked down but we didn’t get knocked out. We failed at first. But we’re willing to work harder. And we know that with hard work we can compete with any city, state, or country in the world.

Another option is to just ditch the Common Core. Policy makers could use public outcry as grounds to abandon the higher standards. There is a reasonable argument for this approach: Perhaps we’d be better off to just keep things as they are. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and Louisiana — while a relatively poor state — still boasts living standards that most nations would envy. Why force change when none is needed? Passing tests is not the be-all and end-all of a meaningful education.

The third option is to report the performance data accurately but to delay accountability. Under this option, we could keep the