L

A
N
O
I
S
S
E
F
O
R
P
R
O
F
N
O
I
T
A
T
N
E
PRES
E
U
Q
I
T
I
R
C
E
L
C
I
JOURNAL ART
BY RYAN A. KAY

CRITIQUE ON ARTICLE TITLED: HELPING HIGH SCHOOLS

MEET HIGHER STANDARDS
BY KATHRYN H. AU
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR

THE AUTHOR IS FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SCHOOLRISE. THE AUTHOR GIVES THE

STRONG IMPRESSION THAT SHE IS AN EXPERT ON EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS-BASED REFORMS IN HIGH

SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT SHE IS A LITERACY EDUCATOR
AND RESEARCHER.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT

THIS ARTICLE
THE TOPIC OF THIS ARTICLE IS CENTERED ON HOW HIGH SCHOOLS
SHOULD TRANSITION INTO IMPLEMENTING THE NEW STANDARDS SET BY
COMMON CORE AND RELATED RECOMMENDED ACADEMIC STANDARDS
THAT FOCUSES ON PROMOTING CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS. THIS
ARTICLE OUTLINES HOW THE PRINCIPAL, TEACHERS, AND THE LIAISON
TEAM MEMBERS SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THE NECESSARY
CHANGES IN ORDER FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN MEETING
THE GOALS AND STANDARDS SET FOURTH BY THE COMMON CORE.

AUTHORS MAIN IDEA AND KEY POINTS

RISING STANDARDS
THE AUTHOR STATES THAT THE ARTICLE IS TO
COMMENT ON THE U.S. POLICY ENVIRONMENT
UNDER COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS AND
THE COMMON CORE AND TO OFFER
RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW HIGH
SCHOOL LITERACY LEADERS SUCH AS THE
PRINCIPALS, CURRICULUM COORDINATORS,
DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, RESOURCE TEACHERS,
AND OTHERS CAN HELP STUDENTS AND
TEACHERS ALIKE MEET EVER-RISING
STANDARDS

THREE PILLARS
THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES THREE PILLARS AND
STEPS TO EFFECTIVELY POSITION HIGH
SCHOOLS TO MEET THE RIGOROUS
EXPECTATIONS OF COLLEGE AND CAREER
READINESS AND THE COMMON CORE

THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES AND EXPLAINS THAT

HER TEAMS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT FOR THE
HIGH SCHOOL TO SUCCEED IN MOST HAVE A
STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CONSISTS
OF A SUPPORTIVE PRINCIPAL, A KEY
CURRICULUM LEADER, AND A LIAISON TEAM

HOW THE ARTICLE IS RELEVANT TO

TEACHING IN GENERAL
THE ARTICLE IS RELEVANT BECAUSE IT DISCUSSES WHAT TEACHERS NEED TO DO
TO MEET THE NEW ACADEMIC STANDARDS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES THAT ARE
BEING PLACED ON THE STUDENTS AS A MEASURE OF THEIR CURRENT AND FUTURE
ACADEMIC SUCCESS. IT DISCUSSES WHAT TEACHERS NEED TO DO TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN CREATING A COLLABORATIVE TEACHING ENVIRONMENT WHICH
ALLOWS THEM TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE STUDENT
ACADEMIC SUCCESS. THE ARTICLE EMPHASIZES THE TOTAL BUY IN NEEDED FROM
ALL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS REGARDLESS OF SUBJECTS TAUGHT FOR THE SCHOOL
TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS THAT THEIR
STUDENTS NEED TO MEET. IT ALSO GIVES KEYS TO HOW THE TEACHERS CAN BE
SUCCESSFUL IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW COMMON CORE STANDARDS.

HOW THE ARTICLE RELATES TO YOUR FIELD EXPERIENCE

THE ARTICLE FORESHADOWS WHAT MY HIGH SCHOOL AND EVENTUALLY EVERY HIGH SCHOOL IN MICHIGAN MUST ADHERE TO IN

ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING OUR STUDENTS TO BE PROFICIENT IN MEETING THESE NEW ACADEMIC STANDARDS
OUTLINED BY THE COMMON CORE EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE. IN MY HIGH SCHOOL FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE BEING ASKED TO IN
OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DIVIDED INTO US TEACHERS AND THE SUBJECT AREA IN WHICH WE
TEACH. IN MY SOCIAL STUDIES PLC WE COLLABORATE ON HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE MORE EFFECTIVE READING AND WRITING
EXERCISES INTO OUR DAILY AND WEEKLY TEACHINGS. WE HAVE USED STRATEGIES AND READING AND WRITING TASKS SUCH AS
GUIDED HIGHLIGHTED READING, WRITING TRACKER, OPPOSING VIEWPOINT RESPONSES, AND MORE IN ORDER TO NOT BE SO
CONTENT DRIVEN IN OUR INSTRUCTION AND TEACHINGS. MY HIGH SCHOOL ALSO HAS A SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM THAT
OVERSEES OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY AND MONITORS US TEACHERS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE PROOF AND
EVIDENCE THAT WE DOCUMENT IN BLACKBOARD OF OUR STUDENTS CLOSE AND CRITICAL READING SAMPLES.

STRENGTHS OF THE AUTHORS MAIN POINTS

OUTLINE OF SUCCESS

EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO DO

GOOD BACKGROUND INFO

THE AUTHOR DOES GIVE A STRONG OUTLINE OF

WHAT SCHOOLS NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN
MEETING THE STANDARDS OF THE COMMON
CORE INITIATIVES.

SHE ALSO GIVES EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO DO AND

NOT TO DO IN ORDER FOR TEACHERS TO
EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES TO THEIR
TEACHINGS OF THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.

THE AUTHOR GIVES GOOD BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO

WHY THESE CHANGES ARE HAPPENING AND WHY
TEACHERS NEED TO TAKE COMMON CORE SERIOUSLY AND
TO MODIFY HOW WE TEACH.

WEAKNESSES OF THE
AUTHORS MAIN POINTS OR
SUPPORT
THE AUTHOR LIKE MANY SELF-PROCLAIMED EDUCATIONAL REFORM
EXPERTS FAILS TO GIVE ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO TEACHERS. AN
EXAMPLE IS, IF A HIGH SCHOOL DOES NOT HAVE AN EFFECTIVE
LEADER AS A PRINCIPAL THEN WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO TO
OVERCOME THAT OBSTACLE IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL
MEETING THESE COMMON CORE LEARNING STANDARDS. SHE ALSO
FAILS TO MENTION WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH
SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS IF STUDENTS DO NOT MEET THE NEW
STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC PROFICIENCY UNDER COMMON CORE.
THE AUTHOR TALKS ABOUT EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND ADVOCATES
WHAT HIGH SCHOOLS MUST DO BUT SHE DOES NOT GIVE A
MANUAL FOR SUCCESS BUT SHE INSTEAD GIVES A NOT SO HIGHLY
DETAILED ROAD MAP FOR SUCCESS. TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS,
AND LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS NEED VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
ON WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO MEET THE
ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS THAT ARE BEING PLACED ON THEM .

EXAMPLES OF HOW THE AUTHOR SUPPORTED HER

MAIN POINTS
THE AUTHORS REFERS TO HER HOME STATE OF HAWAII AND SPECIFICALLY A SUBURBAN HAWAII
HIGH SCHOOL. SHE ALSO MENTIONS THE THREE VERSIONS OF THE HAWAII CONTENT AND
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND HOW THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN HAWAII USES THE HCPS TO
REFLECT INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS THAN MAJOR SHIFTS IN IMPLEMENTING THE
COMMON CORE STANDARDS. THE AUTHOR REFERS TO WORKING WITH TEACHERS BUT DOES
NOT GIVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON HOW MUCH ACTUAL TIME THAT SHE HAS WORKED WITH
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STAFF IN IMPLEMENTING THESE COMMON CORE STANDARDS.
SHE DOES GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT SHE DID WITH TEACHERS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO
UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY THESE STANDARDS SHOULD BE MEET BY THE STUDENTS BY
DOING VARIOUS LEARNING ACTIVITIES.

WHAT I LEARNED
FROM THIS ARTICLE
I LEARNED THAT US TEACHERS WHO LIKE IT OR NOT,
MUST BE PREPARED TO IMPLEMENT COMMON CORE
FULLY IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS BY CHANGING THE WAY
WE TEACH REGARDLESS OF SUBJECT BEING TAUGHT. I
AM EVEN MORE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT I AND MY
FELLOW TEACHERS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY
OUR STUDENTS SUCCESS IN MEETING THESE
COMMON CORE STANDARDS. THE ARTICLE ALSO GAVE
ME INFORMATION ON WHAT MY HIGH SCHOOL CAN
ATTEMPT TO DO IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE A SMOOTH
TRANSITION INTO COMMON CORE.