Common Core: Why Does It Work?

What is it and why is it so despised? As an education major, I do have some bias toward my feelings
with common core. However, the arguments against common core nag the English part of my
major's concentration. In middle school, students are taught to write a persuasive essay. I will
reiterate: IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. This is reinforced every year up until the student graduates from
high school, so students know how to write a persuasive essay because they have to write at least
one for around seven years. As a refresher, persuasive essays are done for students to try to
convince the reader that their opinion is correct. What you are about to read can be considered a
persuasive essay, not an academic essay, but still I am trying to get my readers to see why I like
Common Core in the school system. The major reason why I like it is because it unifies the United
States Education system. It is changing the teacher centered classrooms into student centered
classrooms. The standards are scaffolding what the children are learning. Scaffolding in simple
terms means that it is using previous knowledge to help understand to new content.
What Exactly is the Common Core?
Common Core is a set of standards from Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade on what the students should
be learning in each grade in the content areas of Math and English. They are education goals in
these content areas for grades to achieve. These all lead to the end goal of passing the dreaded
standardized testing at the end of the year and later on the SATs and/or ACTs. The SATs, which is
the scores that most colleges accept, focus on the content areas of Math and English by breaking
down the test into three parts: Writing, Reading Comprehension, and Math. These three separate
scores combine for the total score, but what many graduating high school students do not realize is
that each section has its own score that universities do look at separately when it comes to specific
colleges like the College of Education or the College of Nursing. I learned that the hard way and
while my math scores made the cut for me to exempt the math part of the Praxis I. My reading and
writing just skimmed underneath the exemption line, so I had to take the Praxis I which is another
standardized test for teaching majors.
Common Core and Standardized Testing
The results of standardized testing are so important for those who pursue a future in college, but
what about Social Studies and Science. I am really good at Social Studies. It is actually my strongest
subject, followed by math, English, and then Science. That list was based on grades, not interest.
Math and English would switch in the interest list. Anyway, when I found out there was not Social
Studies, I was actually really bummed out and no one really told me why it is not on there until
college. Math and English are application based subjects. There is not memorization of facts, but the
learning of how to do something when presented with certain actions. I was going to use the word
problems, but English does not have "problems" like Math does. For Math, students are given math
"problems" to solve. The numbers are different while the process they choose is the same.
Remember how I said, the "the process THEY CHOOSE." This will be important later in the article.
For English, I am using what I have learned in grammar, spelling, and the actual literature part of
the class to write this article. I use the same knowledge to write my Facebook statuses, an email,
speeches, stories, poetry, texting, and everything I have to write. While I choose to ignore the basic
grammar structure in Facebook statuses and continue to use "..." in Facebook chats and texting in
the incorrect way, the knowledge is there for me to write it properly. Standardized testing is seeing

if a student does know how to use it properly and when the rules apply in different writing. I also
need to acknowledge my favorite part of the test is the writing part because it is the
acknowledgement that in every writing piece the voice will be different. It acknowledges that writing
styles are different and grammar usage is different. As long, as you, do not make grammar
Mistakes...this noticable (yes I spelt that wrong on purpose) and u dew try, the scores will be pretty
decent on the writing section. I do not grade them, but if this is a struggle for you or someone you
know, my suggestion is just to write whatever you want and practice.
Those who created the Common Core know more about how the SATs and ACTs are graded better
than me, which is why the goals are created the way they are. They are preparing students right
when they walk into the school. Schools do not revolve around the principle that students need to
get high score tests, although the results of the tests reflect on the school which is a reason (not
"the" reason) teachers help students prepare for the tests. I believe "the" reason teachers help
students prepare for the tests is because the teachers know how stressful the tests are. The tests are
not created by the teachers. The tests are not created on what the student learned in school, but
what the test makers believe the student should have been taught in school and what they should
know by the end of the year to advance to the next stage of education. Sounds unfair? Some of these
students do understand that the teacher did not make the test and what they learned will not be
specifically on there. They question the teacher just as much as parents do. Not all students, but as a
future teacher in the making, I enjoy those students that question because they should question. It is
affects them and their future. It shows they care.