Historical Justification and Underpinnings of the American Common Core

Robillard, Gail

CA

Wallender, J. (2014). The Common Core state standards in American public education: Historical underpinnings and justifications. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 80(4), 7-11. Retrieved at http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=be955f56-f9ee-42b7-90a3-51e03e8e0805%40sessionmgr104

In this literature review, the author documents and discusses the historical underpinnings and justifications surrounding CCSS, and synthesizes four main justifications for their adoption. She asserts that only by educators understanding why and how the CCSS adoption came to be will their implementation be effective. The four justifications are creating common educational standards, preparing students for college, stressing quality education for all students, and increasing rigor in schools. The author notes that these four justifications are not new; early educational standards likewise grew from these same objectives.

I like the format of a literature review as it attempts to synthesize all the relevant literature on a topic, thereby giving more weight to the findings. I was interested in the historical development of educational standards as detailed by the author. It was interesting to see what philosophical goals were important to early educators. While the goals seem the same, nonetheless the CCSS have been controversial.  I would be interested in further reading on what precise arguments have been posed against the CCSS. A less important thing I learned was that Delta Kappa Gamma is a professional honor society of women educators, begun just after women were granted the right to vote, in order to promote women in educational leadership positions. The society does not currently permit men to become members.