Staff Writer
Tests are changing from asking the “what” questions to the “why”. The Measures of Student Learning
(MSL) exams are the new tests to standardize learning and measurement across the state for classes that don’t have an End Of Course (EOC) exam. There is less time, fewer questions, and constructive responses in the MSL compared to the multiple choice formant of the EOC. All of these changes in how students will be taught and tested are results of the Common Core.
What is it? The Common Core was created so that each grade level has a national standard at which students are expected to learn. As these standards are brought up through grade levels, the hope is to have a common core throughout the nation. This system aims to better equip students for the real world with critical thinking questions, going further than multiple choice answers.
Which states haven’t adopted it? In the U.S., 45 states have adopted the Common Core, making it seem like a uniform way of learning throughout the nation. Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have also implemented the Common Core into their school systems. Alaska, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, and Virginia are the states who haven’t. How does it affect students? If a high school student lives in one area for their high school career, then it won’t affect them as much, besides the occasional changing of tests. On the other hand, if a student were to move to a different state during high school, there is a 10% chance that it will be in a state that hasn’t adopted the Common Core. That’s good news because there is less of a chance that credits necessary for graduation will be lost due to differences in school systems. However, not all states are implementing the Common Core at the same time. For example, Utah began using the Common Core for the class of 2015, but North Carolina began implementing it for the class of 2016. With the math system drastically changed from Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calc, etc. to Common Core 1 or Secondary Math 1, it is easy for credits to be lost.
The changes to the educations system may be for the better, but until all states are on the same page at the same time, the Common Core seems to be complicated.
