The Common Core State Standard Initiative: The Rationale
The Rationale for the Common Core State Standards
When faced with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), educators may ask why we are going through these changes and
why we need new standards. There are three key reasons that have driven the need for change resulting in the new
CCSS:
1. The changing nature of technology
2. Competition in a global job market
3. College and career readiness changes.
First, in large part due to technology, the society in which students must succeed has changed. Through computer and
Internet access, millions of students in developing countries around the world have the opportunity to acquire the necessary
skill sets to compete worldwide for jobs. Technology has essentially leveled the global playing field.
Next, since the U.S. is competing in a global economy, it must have a highly productive workforce that will require schools to
provide a much more rigorous and relevant education . The raised standards are aligned with 21st century expectations.
The intent is to ensure that American students will possess competencies that make them successful in the global
marketplace. Currently, on international exams, American students often do not fare well. For example, on the 2008
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), American students ranked 25th in math, 21st in science,15th in
reading, and 24th in problem solving out of 30 industrialized countries.
Finally, students need the appropriate skills and knowledge to become college- and career-ready, and in reality too few
students are prepared for college and/or a career. Currently, approximately one-third of U.S. students drop out of high
school. On the 2011 ACT, 25% of students met college-readiness benchmarks in all four content areas of the test. What
students have to be able to do in a typical college course has become increasingly demanding. More than one-third of
American high school graduates (80% of which had a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher) who enter college
are required to take remedial courses at a cost of over $2 billion annually. Additionally, many studies have indicated that
employers are concerned with students’ ability to apply academic skills needed for the increasingly sophisticated workplace.
There are many complex issues in American society, such as drug and alcohol use, pregnancy, suicide, depression, and
violence. These factors contribute to a system that has a 30% high school drop out rate, that has more than one-third of
graduates who enter higher education requiring remediation, and that has seen its relative success in educating its
population fall compared to other nations. Clearly, Americans cannot assume the position that all is well, as this position
neither serves the nation’s interests nor the needs of students.
The CCSS involve an effort to improve the system of American public education. For example, the American high school
curriculum was designed in 1892 (no, that’s not 1992, that’s 1892), and elements of this original design are still in place
today. Schools were based on the factory model when a primary goal of education was to prepare young people for factory
jobs that required them to repeatedly perform a relatively simple task and to comprehend and implement instructions. This
design was future-focused for an Industrial Age education system to prepare America for the future, and it was very
successful. However, we are no longer living in the Industrial Age. The world of the future will require a new kind of worker,
and these workers will have jobs that utilize a higher level and more diverse set of skills. Rather than just consuming
information, students need to be able to produce and generate information and think creatively. They will also need to
reason effectively, solve complex problems, and communicate clearly.
In summary, the changing nature of technology, competition in the global job market, and college and career readiness
changes have impacted the skills and knowledge that young people today need to be successful. The CCSS provide an
opportunity to transform education standards to be more aligned with today’s world.
References
Daggett, W. R., Gendron, S. A., & Heller, D. A. (2010). Transitioning to the common cores state standards and next generation
assessments. Rexford, NY: International Center for Leadership in Education.
DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement.
Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.
DuFour, R., & Marzano, R. J. (2011). Leaders of learning: How district, school, and classroom leaders improve student achievement.
Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Gewertz, C. (2011, August 24). More students meet ACT’s college-readiness benchmarks. Education Week, 31(1), 8.
Kendall, J. (2011). Understanding common core state standards. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Schwahn, C., & McGarvey, B. 2011). Inevitable: Mass customized learning. Lexington, KY.