Most
teachers know the Common Core State Standards are coming, but the majority of
them do not feel ready to roll them out. In a recently released Gates survey of
10,000 teachers, 78% of teachers are aware of the CCSS, yet 51% of teachers
felt somewhat prepared and 27% of teachers felt somewhat/very unprepared. With
only 22% of teachers feeling confident about teaching the CCSS, it is clear
that there needs to be additional measures in place so that teachers feel ready
to roll them out successfully.
At
Insight, we’ve been doing a lot of work to align resources to effectively
support the implementation of the CCSS. In Memphis, for example, we are
incorporating the instructional shifts that the CCSS require into the revised
TEM, Memphis’ framework for teaching and learning. We are taking the same steps
with other districts to ensure that expectations for teaching match the level
of rigor that CCSS set.
Of
course, solid tools, while necessary, are not sufficient. Training must
accompany the tools so that they are implemented effectively. Teachers realize
this, and they are asking for it. In the Gates survey, 63% of teachers said
that they would need professional development on the requirements of the
standards, and 60% expressed a need for professional
development on how to teach parts of the standards that are new to them. As one
high school teacher noted, “I understand Common Standards, I have
read them. And I like them. I need more curriculum support and training to
integrate them into my lessons.”
With the right tools and training in place, we are excited by the
potential power of the CCSS in schools across the country
