Last month, Ohio became one of the first states to adopt the Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts (ELA). According to a new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, that was a smart move.
The State of State Standards – and the Common Core – in 2010, our latest review of each state’s academic standards (and how they rate next to the Common Core standards), finds that the ELA and math standards produced by the Common Core State Standards Initiative are clearer and more rigorous than those in place in three-quarters of states. Nationwide, Common Core standards are stronger than ELA standards in 37 states and stronger than existing math standards in 39 states.
Ohio’s previous ELA standards received a “C” from content-expert reviewers; its math standards also received a “C.” Common Core standards earned a “B+” and an “A-” in ELA and math, respectively. While three states – California, Indiana, and the District of Columbia – have ELA standards that are clearly superior to those of the Common Core and nearly a dozen have ELA or math standards in the same league as Common Core, Ohio’s standards in both subjects were rated unambiguously “inferior to the Common Core” by expert reviewers.
In short, educators and policymakers in Ohio here can be certain that adopting Common Core standards was an unequivocally positive move for Buckeye State students.
Want more?
- For an Ohio-based perspective on how Common Core standards are an upgrade for the state, see this joint analysis by the Fordham Ohio team and former state board of education member Colleen Grady.
- To learn more about what Common Core standards mean for the Buckeye State moving forward – in terms of implementation, assessment, and accountability – go here.
- And be sure to check out Fordham’s catch-all Common Core resource page, which features an interactive map tracking which states sign on, as well as ongoing research and commentary on the standards.