THINK: Common Core creates a federal standard of education that will not only repair the failures of the No Child Left Behind Act but give students the critical thinking skills the nation sorely lacks.
By Brendan Brown, Staff Writer
In passing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, Congress promised that all American students would at least be proficient in reading by the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Shockingly, Congress wasn’t able to uphold its promise since a recent poll by the U.S. Department of Education found that 19% of American high school students are illiterate—not at a below average or basic reading level, but utterly illiterate. Besides having nearly a fifth of high school students unable to read this article, Americans have needed to face the faults of their education system for decades.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt thoughtfully pointed out that “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” As Americans, the importance of a literate, informed and independent-thinking populous is always a national priority. So just like our national security or any other concern of national importance, education is not something we can leave to the experimentation of each individual state. Common Core creates a higher federal standard of education; regardless of what state you live in, you’re guaranteed the same education as any other American.
Common Core’s raised standards for educational achievement will also increase students’ readiness for college. According to The National Center for Public Policy and High Education, about 60% of first-year college students discover that they are not ready for post-secondary studies, meaning they have to repeat high school courses in college. It’s obvious they are not learning enough while in high school. By emphasizing independent thinking and problem solving skills rather than standardized tests, Common Core teaches students how to combine and apply what they’ve accumulatively learned.
A federal standard will also benefit teachers across the nation by allowing them to collaborate on common curricula across state lines. The larger the pool of academia our educators have access to, the greater the amount of thoughts and ideas there are to improve existing methods. States will no longer spend millions of dollars on standardized testing for their specific state and can finally compare educational progress. Common Core offers the necessary efficiency for a successful educational system without the confusion of state-by-state standards.
America has long needed educational reform, and Common Core is a step in the right direction. The education of our nation’s youth is key to our country’s future. By coming together and working to improve as a whole rather than dividing amongst ourselves, we are making a better country for future generations and strengthening the democratic ideals America was founded on.