Answers to Parents’ Questions about Common Core State Standards

July 28, 2023 byElizabeth Preston

7 min to read

A father is looking at a laptop with his daughter

As a parent, you’ve probably heard about Common Core State Standards (CCSS or “Common Core”) for education. Widespread media coverage of this topic offers many differing—and confusing—opinions. To help you understand what Common Core means and how it may apply to your child’s education, this guide addresses some of the most frequently asked questions about Common Core standards and explores some of the pros and cons of Common Core standards.

Who created Common Core standards?
Does the federal government force states to adopt Common Core State Standards?
Is Common Core a curriculum?
What are some of the pros and cons of Common Core standards?
Does the curriculum used at Connections Academy® online public schools align with Common Core?
How does Common Core emphasize testing, and what will the changes to standardized tests look like?
How does Common Core affect Connections Academy® students?
How can I support my student?

1. Who created Common Core standards?

Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that originated from a partnership between the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. A team of teachers, school administrators, and experts developed the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare students for college and the workforce. CCSS are evidence-based, are aligned with college and work expectations, and are informed by extensive education research.

Many education groups such as the National PTA, the National Association of State Boards of Education, the American Association of School Administrators, ACT, and the College Board support CCSS.

2. Does the federal government force states to adopt Common Core State Standards?

No, the federal government does not require states to adopt the standards. Individual state departments of education and state legislatures vote on the adoption of the standards.

Although most states adopted the standards initially when they were introduced in June 2010, the standards have become a point of contention among parents and voters and eight states have since withdrawn from the program. In addition, several states have adopted their own standards or have adopted some version of CCSS. View this map to see which states use Common Core standards.

3. Is Common Core a curriculum?

No, CCSS are not a curriculum. Instead, they are a set of shared goals and expectations that define the knowledge and skills students should learn by a certain level in their education. In theory, these academic standards help ensure that all students, no matter where they live, are prepared for success in college and in the workforce.

The goals established by CCSS serve as a roadmap to help families and teachers work together to ensure that students succeed. They are also designed to help students develop critical-thinking skills. State and local educators decide how Common Core standards are to be met and what instructional materials will be used.

4. What are some of the pros and cons of Common Core standards?

Before Common Core, there were fifty different sets of state standards. States also covered different topics at different grade levels, which led to a lack of uniformity in students’ education and in skill expectations for each grade level.

Many argue that this lack of standardization made it difficult to ensure that all students across the United States were learning skills and objectives at same pace or level of difficulty. CCSS allowed for a consistent measure between students of different states, since students were tested on similar standards at similar times.

Another benefit of Common Core standards is that it provides a way for teachers to measure students’ progress so that adjustments can be made, and interventions can be done if a student is not meeting those standards.

However, one of the downsides of CCSS is that while there are standards of what students should learn by certain grades, there are few guidelines for what materials should be used to teach students and aid them in meeting CCSS. Thus, some schools may have difficulty in ensuring that students achieve the goals set by CCSS. While the finish line may be clear, the way to get there may be at least partly dependent upon individual schools’ and teachers’ skills, abilities, educational beliefs, resources, and circumstances.

Some also argue that CCSS do not allow room for students to have individualized instruction. For instance, if a third-grade student is reading at a fifth-grade level but is at a second-grade level in math, then how do they fit into CCSS? This same question can be asked of all state standards. The answer is the school and teachers ensure differentiation and individualized instruction, while ensuring students have mastered the appropriate standards. A student who is reading at a fifth-grade level and can show mastery of the 3rd grade standards could have differentiation at the school level for these individual needs.

Students may be gifted in one area while needing assistance in another, and such a situation requires flexibility in the students’ curriculum.

A Learning Coach and student work on an assignment based on Common Core Standards.

5. Does the curriculum used at Connections Academy® online public schools align with Common Core?

Connections Academy® K–12 online public schools use a world-class curriculum that meets national standards for quality and is designed for online learning. Because these tuition-free online schools are public schools, they must also follow the standards of their respective states.

The curriculum team at Connections Academy has always used individual state standards to identify student learning objectives and guide the development of its curriculum, and if a student’s state requires CCSS, then Connections Academy® ensures it meets (and even exceeds) Common Core requirements. Nevertheless, many of our instructional activities and materials are appropriate for all students in all states.

6. How does Common Core emphasize testing, and what will the changes to standardized tests look like?

To ensure that students are mastering skills and objectives, they need to be regularly assessed in some way. There are many ways to evaluate academic learning, but standardized testing is a traditional and widespread way to achieve this goal.

Each state has testing based on the standards they adhere to, but these tests may differ from one another. You can find out more about each state’s standardized testing here: “Standardized Testing by State.”

Connections Academy is dedicated to ensuring that all of our students are prepared to meet the requirements for all state-specific or state-chosen standardized tests.

7. How does Common Core affect Connections Academy® students?

The Connections Academy® curriculum department has always applied rigorous state and national academic standards when creating and revising our courses and assessments—so high standards aren’t new to us! We’re committed to helping students develop higher-order thinking skills and learn to apply them in new settings to solve new problems.

We adhere to state required standards to ensure that students are prepared for success in college and in the workforce. Thus, if a state has adopted CCSS, then we adhere to those standards. We also tailor students’ education to their unique abilities, skills, and situations. Connections Academy® is committed to providing the opportunity for academic excellence for all our students.

How can I support my student?

You can familiarize yourself with CCSS by reading CCSS for math here and CCSS for English language arts and literacy here. You can also read about the recent changes in CCSS for math here and the recent changes in CCSS for English language arts and literacy here.

One way to support your student is to have conversations with your child’s school administrators and teachers on how they use CCSS in their curriculum and how parents can support students in meeting CCSS.

Since CCSS only speak to math and English language arts and literacy, you may also want to talk with your school’s administration and teachers regarding other important topics, such as science and social studies.

Online school can be a positive way to get involved in your child’s education and ensure that they keep learning so that they meet rigorous academic standards, include Common Core State Standards, and become prepared for college and/or their career. Visit our online school tips to learn more.