One of the issues that is often raised in K-12 online learning is the fact that everyone creates their own courses – I believe the question usually goes, “How many versions of Algebra I and II do we really need?” I know in the past some have argued that this was needed because of the differences in state standards and expectations. I wonder if this movement, should it be successful, will change that? Will this cause some sharing of curricular resources and online course content between program providers?
46 States, D.C. Plan to Draft Common Education Standards
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 1, 2009
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia today will announce an effort to craft a single vision for what children should learn each year from kindergarten through high school graduation, an unprecedented step toward a uniform definition of success in American schools.
The push for common reading and math standards marks a turning point in a movement to judge U.S. children using one yardstick that reflects expectations set for students in countries around the world at a time of global competition. Today, each state decides what to teach in third-grade reading, fifth-grade math and every other class. Critics think some set a bar so that students can pass tests but, ultimately, are ill-prepared.
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Another item that I found posted on this movement, with a slightly different message, was from the iNACOL forums.
49 States & Territories Join Common Core State, Standards Initiative
FORTY-NINE STATES AND TERRITORIES JOIN COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS INITIATIVE
NGA Center, CCSSO Convene State-led Process to Develop Common
English-language arts and Mathematics Standards
WASHINGTON— The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released the names of the states and territories that have joined the Common Core State Standards Initiative: Alabama; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; District of Columbia; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; Rhode Island; South Dakota; Tennessee; Utah; Vermont; Virgin Islands; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; and Wyoming.
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This was posted to one of the iNACOL forums earlier this week. I asked about this issue a few weeks back (see Affects On Virtual Schooling?) – appears now we are getting closer to it being a reality. Feel free to comment on the standards in the manner outlined below.
