The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) was an effort of 48 states and the District of Columbia to come together and draft a set of common expectations in reading and math. (To date, 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the final standards.) The intention is for states to voluntarily adopt these education standards as their own, replacing the patchwork of state-by-state standards that we have now. For many years, Fordham has advocated for national standards and tests, and we’re cautiously optimistic about the Common Core standards. We’ve been following their development and thinking ahead to their implementation. Subscribe to the Gadfly newsweekly and our Flypaper blog RSS feed to keep abreast of these issues.
Standards Central: Fordham's reviews from the U.S. and abroad
Do you want to learn more about the condition of education standards across America and beyond? Then visit Standards Central—a one-stop-shop for all of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s recent reviews of state, national, and international curriculum and testing standards. This online clearinghouse presents a wealth of information about individual state standards, the Common Core State Standards, and various national and international assessment standards. The Fordham Institute’s Standards Library includes a “Best in Class” page highlighting states with the strongest standards in English language arts (ELA), math and U.S. history. A large map of the United States, meanwhile, displays grades and reviews for each state’s standards in these three subjects (including the Common Core State Standards for ELA and math). The website reaches beyond state standards however, to include our reviews of well-known national and international assessment standards for ELA, math, and U.S. history, including: the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the ACT, and College Board (SAT).
While most of the content on this website is drawn from previously-released Fordham Institute reports, you will find six new reviews. These include the Fordham Institute’s analyses of the assessment frameworks for the ACT and College Board for both ELA and math, as well as that of PISA for ELA and TIMSS for math. Explore! We hope you find this clearinghouse to be a valuable new tool for learning more about how to create truly rigorous standards for our children.
Latest research and commentary
Video: Mike Petrilli and Jay Greene debate national standards
To them, Mike says "aye," Jay says "nay"
Common Core adoption
"Pop quiz on Common Core," by Mike Petrilli, Flypaper, June 27, 2011.
"Minnesota inches closer to banning Common Core," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, May 23, 2011.
"Is Minnesota bowing out of the Common Core?," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, April 11, 2011.
Common Core implementation
"Common Core implementation: Pretty good Gatsby is not good enough," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, July 13, 2010.
" Interaction effects and the Common Core," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, April 21, 2011.
"Common Core Standards: Now What?," by Mike Petrilli, Flypaper, October 19, 2010.
Common assessments
" Get SMARTER: How well are SBAC's assessment plans aligned to the Common Core ," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, September 2, 2011.
"A review of the PARCC ELA content frameworks," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, June 30, 2011.
" PARCC eliminates through-course assessments," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, June 30, 2011.Common curricula
" New criteria to guide CCSS-aligned curriculum released," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, July 13, 2011.
"Common Core + bungie jumping Barbie = epic fail," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, May 25, 2011.
" Fordham responds to the 'counter-manifesto,'" by Checker Finn and Mike Petrilli, Flypaper, May 12, 2011.
Interactive Map by iMapBuilder
(Thanks to Education Week, from which we compiled our map information.)
Media coverage of "The State of State Standards - and the Common Core - in 2010" included stories in the New York Times, Washington Post and Houston Chronicle. Read full coverage at our Fordham in the News page.
" And the answer is? (Shh! We can't tell you!)," by Peter Meyer, October 11, 2010
Standards assessments are problematic but there's hope in the CCSSI.
"Whither 21st century skills?," by Chester E. Finn, Jr., September 10, 2010
CCSSO and P-20 partner up. We're not entirely convinced that it's a good idea.
"Debating the Common Core standards," by Amy Fagan, Flypaper, September 8, 2010
Mike Petrilli and Neal McCluskey go toe-to-toe on the merits of national standards.
"Staying Focused on Results," by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, August 12, 2010
The staying power of the Common Core standards is in strong accountability systems, not a common curriculum. Let's not drop the student achievement ball.
"Three-fourths of U.S. children in Common Core states" by Mike Petrilli, Flypaper, August 4, 2010
Illinois marks state number thirty-five to sign on to the Common Core. We've got national standards, people!
"Conserving the status quo" by Checker Finn, Flypaper, July 29, 2010
Do some people really want to preserve the meager academic expectations, crummy tests, and weak-kneed accountability arrangements that currently drive—or fail to drive—K-12 education across most of this broad land?
"Back to the education future: National education standards" by Saul Spady, Flypaper, July 22, 2010
Four years ago, the national education standards movement faced two huge obstacles.
"National education standards that even conservatives can love" by Checker Finn, National Review Online, July 22, 2010
The new Common Core education standards aren’t perfect. But anybody worried that this national effort will dumb down what we expect young Americans to learn in school can relax, at least for now.
"VIDEO: National education standards matter only if implemented" featuring Mike Petrilli, July 21, 2010
The State of State Standards - and the Common Core - in 2010 by Sheila Byrd Carmichael, Gabrielle Martino, Kathleen Porter-Magee, W. Stephen Wilson, July 21, 2010
Oure report weighs current state education standards against the Common Core state standards and finds the Common Core is clearer and more rigorous than today’s ELA standards in 37 states and today’s math standards in 39 states.
Common Education Standards: Tackling the Long-Term Questions - research papers by various authors, June 23, 2010
How should the "common core" state standards initiative be governed? Who will "own" these standards (and related assessments) 20 years from now? To stir smart thinking about important aspects of these vital issues, we invited knowledgeable experts to write background papers.
"Denial vs paranoia with Common Core education standards" by Checker Finn, Flypaper, June 17, 2010
Some people think uniform education standards will lead to federal government takeover. The greater threat is continued educational mediocrity.
"Answering Jay Greene's questions about national standards" by Mike Petrilli, Flypaper, June 9, 2010
Does Jay oppose voucher programs because they might get hijacked by shady for-profit providers who just want to make money off the backs of poor kids?
"Common Core Standards video from Cato Institute" by Amy Fagan, Flypaper, June 4, 2010
CATO Institute hosted a lively discussion of the Common Core State Standards this week, and the video of that event is now up on their website. There’s some good back-and-forth.
"Common Core Standards: Better than ever" by Chester E. Finn, Jr., Flypaper, June 2, 2010
Millions of American school-kids would be better served if their states, districts and schools set out in a serious way to impart these Common Core education standards skills and content to their pupils rather than the nebulous and flaccid curricular goals that they're now using.
“Rushing to Judgment?” by Chester E. Finn, Jr., The Education Gadfly, May 27, 2010
You could be forgiven for thinking that the education messiah will arrive on June 2, considering all the hype, angst, dither and pother that already surround next week’s promised unveiling of the final “common core” state standards (CCSS).
“Moving beyond adoption,” by Kathleen Porter-Magee, The Education Gadfly, May 27, 2010
The majority of states seem poised to adopt "common core" education standards quickly and with little fanfare. One consequence of moving quickly towards adoption has been surprisingly little public discussion of what state-level implementation of these standards should entail.
“Massachusetts madness,” by Mike Petrilli, Flypaper, May 24, 2010
If you wanted to dream up an example of the ill consequence of “one size fits all” federal policy, you’d be hard pressed to do better than Arne Duncan and company’s treatment of Massachusetts right now regarding their education standards.
“Common Core education standards get A- and B from Fordham experts,” by Kathleen Porter-Magee, Flypaper, March 23, 2010
Anyone who’s been following the debate over national standards knows that two weeks ago, the National Governors Association (NGA) together with the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO) released the much-anticipated public draft of the K-12 math and English language arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards.
“Who says standards are a substitute?” by Mike Petrilli, Flypaper, March 22, 2010
Read the Wall Street Journal's convoluted editorial on national standards and watch the editorial board twist itself in knots, admitting that “there’s nothing wrong in principle with setting benchmarks for what the average child should know by a certain grade” and acknowledging that state standards under the No Child Left Behind law are laughably low.
“Back to Basics,” Chester E. Finn, Jr., National Review Online, March 16, 2010
For five good reasons, conservatives should take seriously the potential of the newly released (in draft form) “common” education standards to strengthen U.S. education.
“Some states prefer their own academic standards and that’s OK – for now,” by Chester E. Finn, Jr., Flypaper, March 12, 2010
Several governors are signaling that their states like their own academic standards better than the draft of the Common Core education standards and aren’t going to make the change. This, actually, is a good thing, at least for now.
“Memories of a frog, a spider and a tesseract,” by Janie Scull, Flypaper, March 11, 2010
Here at the Fordham office, the draft Common Core standards has not only brought an air of excitement, but also a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The illustrative texts included in the English Language Arts appendix are strong examples of what students should be learning from kindergarten to high school graduation.
“Draft “Common Core” education standards: Impressive, balanced, serious,” by Chester E. Finn, Jr., Flypaper, March 10, 2010
I haven’t closely examined the new draft “Common Core” math standards (and am in any case shy about judging them, having myself forgotten the difference between cosines and tangents), but the draft “reading/language arts/literacy” standards are pretty darned impressive.
“Will the Common Core Standards prove safe and effective?,” by Chester E. Finn, Jr., Flypaper, February 23, 2010
Even though they still haven’t seen the light of day in draft form, much less been joined by any assessments, the evolving “common core” standards project of the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is already being laden with heavier and heavier burdens.
VIDEO: Understanding Common Core State Standards event held at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute on April 22, 2010