The challenges schools face in implementing the Common Core Standards into their curricula was the topic of an NYU Steinhardt policy breakfast in November. The new standards, adopted by 45 states and three U.S. territories, will require New York State K-12 instructors to teach content material in a way that will help students develop critical and analytic skills so that they can be better prepared for college, the work force, and success in the global economy.
The event, ‘The Common Core Standards: Implementation, Assessment Challenges, and Potential Outcomes and Consequences,” was the first installment in a three-part series on the standards hosted by Mary Brabeck, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean and professor of applied psychology.
Dane Linn (vice president, Business Roundtable), John B. King Jr. (commissioner, New York State Department of Education), and Shael Polakow-Suransky (chief academic officer of the New York City Department of Education), gave presentations at the event that concluded with a Q & A led by Jim Fraser, professor of History and Education at NYU Steinhardt.
Among the issues discussed at the breakfast: an equity agenda insuring all students receive the same educational opportunities, the potential for the Common Core Standards to become politicized, and the challenges of adopting the standards in the New York City school system.
(Panelists (left to right): Dane Linn, John B. King, Jr., and Shael Polakow-Suranky. Photo by Debra Weinstein.)
Watch the discussion.