Utah's Republic

Posts Tagged ‘Utah Standards’

Standards

At the Republican state convention a few months ago I had the chance to speak with Utah Governor Gary Herbert for a few minutes and so I brought up the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The governor assured me they weren’t a prelude to a national takeover of education (which by some measures we could conclude that already happened years ago). The governor said the CCSS was the product of states getting together and collaborating to improve the standards.  That is true in part. The states got together. However, some states had better standards than what was produced in the CCSS documents. Rather than 50 experiments in education, we will now have 1. Success and failure is now 100% for our country in either direction, rather than 2% per state. Will the CCSS work? Nobody knows. They’ve never been used. They weren’t even complete when they started being adopted by states. Assessments weren’t ready to look at, but “don’t worry, everything necessary for this system to work 100% is in process…”

When the evidence is examined as a whole, it is difficult to not see the CCSS as the prelude to a national melding of education into a giant pot.  It’s not like everything is isolated and we certainly can’t say that the standards are independent objects for the states to manipulate. If a state signs on, they can’t modify the standards except to add a little to them. So lets look at what else we know is happening that is pushing forward to compliment the CCSS.

Curriculum

Article: Common Core Writers Craft Curriculum Criteria

What? The people that wrote the standards are now telling curriculum designers how to design the curriculum? That sounds like a national curriculum in the works. But that’ll never happen so don’t worry about that.

Assessments

Article: State Consortium Scales Back Common-Test Design

So you have these “state” standards which are being pushed with the odd national anticipation that very soon all the states will adopt them (even if the standards are worse than their current successful standards such as in MA and CA). Shown on this SBAC timeline, that will be by late this year (2011). By 2013 they will be pilot testing the assessments, field testing in 2014, and 2015 will be when we have “final achievement standards.”  The SBAC is one of a couple of consortia that have received massive amounts of federal funding to develop a set of assessments that will match the CCSS. SBAC’s senior researcher is Linda Darling Hammond, proponent of social justice in the classroom, and constructivist extraordinaire. Anyone want to guess what these assessments will be asking and how they will influence the “final achievement standards?” Does anyone think the CCSS might change by 2015 based on these tests and developing “final” standards?

Tracking

Once you have the standards, curricula to teach them, and assessments to measure student progress, the next thing you’ll want to know is information about the students to see how they are progressing (and of course you’ll want to track the teachers so you know who the ones are that most successfully get students to answer the correct questions on the SBAC social justice tests).

http://www.utahsrepublic.org/education/common-core-database-intrusion/

Connections

If you didn’t read the post the other day on Marxism and CCSS, here’s the flowchart from page 20 of that pdf someone produced.  Everything fits nice and neat together. I haven’t looked into it myself, but from the title on this map, these relationships all seem to get identified in the Race to the Top grant.

Financial Cost

I have read estimates that in California alone, implementing these new standards will entail spending several hundred million dollars. Nearly every state was hoping to get Race to the Top funds but only a handful did. Not surprising, Utah got nothing and so implementation of these new standards will be a significant new expense for our state. It will involve teacher training in the new standards, new textbooks written to the standards, and additional costs for switching out assessments and such. Why on earth would we create massive new costs when we already have pretty good math standards and we have high unemployment and a financial disaster brewing in our country?

Local Control

Everyone’s favorite buzz-phrase but which only a few really cherish. The only local control that is going to exist after this will be for home schoolers and private schools. Accepting this package, and make no mistake it is a package, will terminate local control and allow for Educrats in Washington D.C. to determine what is taught, how it’s taught, what’s tested, and what’s tracked. If we’re lucky, they’ll share a little bit with us at the local level.

Science Standards

Here’s a great piece from Ze’ev Wurman on the newly proposed CC science standards. His conclusion as an engineer and educator who has served on the California Academic Content Standards Commission that reviewed the adoption of Common Core for California, is that these standards are going to develop students who appreciate science rather than actually learn science. You can read his article here entitled Education to Raise Technology Consumers instead of Technology Creators. These standards will only serve to dumb down our children and allow for further deteriorating our scientific prowess (if we can even call it that anymore).

Conclusion

There are many people who believe the CCSS are good standards. No doubt they may be better than what some states were using, but that’s no reason to kill innovation between the 50 states, nor to allow for all these separate components to join together. It’s out of our hands though. The only way to avoid this is to reject the CCSS and be a state that is free to innovate and educate as we see fit.

For more information about the CCSS, check out the Truth in American Education website.

In January of this year, I presented at the Utah Eagle Forum conference along with some other participants. I’ve already posted one of the presentations that I wanted to get out as quick as I could and that was Pamela Smith’s presentation on the SHARP surveys used in our schools. If you haven’t seen that, you definitely want to be aware of what our children are being asked to consider in “harmless” surveys.

Also, when you finish watching my presentation, if you missed watching the video on the U.N.’s global communist agenda, please watch it as well and you’ll see further evidence for the deliberate dumbing down of America.

Last, and as always, another plug for Charlotte Iserbyt’s excellent documentary entitled “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America,” which is a free pdf on her website you can download and look through. She refers to John Goodlad as America’s “premier change agent.”

If you would like to download the slides from this presentation, here’s a link to the Planned Illiteracy Powerpoint slides.

 

Someone recently emailed me this 6^th grade history standard from the Utah state history standards. It’s more important than ever that you know your state school board candidates and make sure they are committed to reviewing what’s being approved for use in Utah. How this is a standard and hasn’t been shouted from the rooftops by someone is stunning.

http://www.uen.org/cc/uen/core/pub/displayCoreCourse.action?ccId=6060
Standard 4
Objective 3

Determine human rights and responsibilities in the world.

1. Identify rights considered essential for all humans (e.g. health care, education, safety, freedom from fear, freedom of expression).
2. Propose steps individual students can take to protect these rights (e.g. support for sister schools, energy and resource conservation, letter writing, career choices, fundraising efforts).

First students will identify rights that aren’t really rights, and then they’ll go to the next step and propose ways to advocate or devote their life to them.

The new Texas standards are looking better and better for potential adoption in Utah.

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=3643

I received a copy of this document prepared by Judy Cox and obtained her permission to post it here. I think this is a great job of showing some of the differences between the new Texas standards and the Utah standards.

Contrasting Utah’s Core Curriculum for Grades 3-6 Social Studies with the new Texas Standards for K-5 Grades

In compiling this information, I do not intend to infer that teachers in the State of Utah are not teaching important information in the Social Studies curriculum to our students. I have personally participated with my children in Veterans Day observances, patriotic programs, and pioneer treks that show a concerted effort on teacher’s part to teach our students an appreciation for the country we live in and an understanding of societal relationships and community responsibilities. I am not a professional educator, but a parent who has had three children in Utah schools, and will soon have two grandchildren entering the public school system here in Utah. My knowledge and concern come from study, experience with my own children, and a desire to better the educational experience for my grandchildren and other children in our state.

My intent is to show that the guidelines given to Utah teachers are lacking in specificity of content, and that valuable information, concepts, and ideas are missing from the core curriculum in the state. These standards guide the selection of textbooks and curriculum. Without more exact requirements and guidelines, many details, concepts, ideas, and critical exposure to important historical figures and other social studies components may be missed or ignored, and some concepts may be over-stressed at the expense of others of equal or greater importance. Additionally, parents do not have the assurance of specifics that must be taught in the curriculum when students experience the occasional teacher whose personal opinions and beliefs and/or political ideology supplant the responsibility of teaching the core curriculum.

The new Texas curriculum provides a more thorough and comprehensive look at the founding of our country, the importance of knowing and understanding historical figures, places, and dates, stresses the importance of the knowledge and celebration of our patriotic holidays, and helps students understand the meaning and importance of citizenship and civic responsibility.  The curriculum is rich in examples of men and women who have contributed  to our society and emphasizes  the role individuals play in creating positive changes within our communities, state, and nation.

By citing the following, I hope to bring to light a certain inadequacy within our State curriculum that can, and should be remedied. While neither states’ curriculum is without gaps, by implementing the more specific aspects of Texas’ curriculum we can create a more thorough and rigorous course of study for our Utah students. The importance of this curriculum in our elementary schools cannot be overlooked, and should be given a thorough and comprehensive review.

Judy Cox

Orem, UT

Please note: Utah State Core Curriculum standards have changed for grades K-2 as of 12/2009. These new standards are more extensive and inclusive of key concepts not found in the current grades 3-6 curriculum, which is dated 05/2008. Concepts introduced in the K-2 curriculum are not specifically reinforced in grades 3-6.

Utah Social Studies Core Curriculum Grades 3 – 6

Four areas of focus are found in the Utah State Curriculum: history; geography; economics; civics. Each area of focus is studies as part of the general theme for the year, i.e. Grade 3 studies community and culture, Grade 4 the State, and Grade 5 the Nation.

Citizenship is discussed once in the introduction “Essential Goals Used in Developing the Elementary Social Studies Core”, and once specifically in the curriculum as in: “Discover the basis for the patriotic and citizenship traditions we have today (i.e. Pledge of Allegiance, flag etiquette, voting)”. The concept of laws is mentioned twice, as in “obedience to laws” and “make laws”. A more comprehensive discussion of laws and their role in citizenship, such as the purpose of rules and laws, in the home, school, community, identifying the benefits of established laws such as providing security and order; the characteristics of good citizenship, such as truthfulness, justice, and examples of historical and other figures, are missing.

The following are NOT specifically mentioned in the curriculum for 3-6 grades in the State of Utah Core Curriculum:

1. No historical figure that impacted the founding of the country is mentioned by name, i.e. George Washington, John Adams, etc., nor is any Utah state historical figure mentioned by name. The curriculum discusses “leaders”, as in “Identify representative people from selected revolutions” and “ideas and leaders of the 20th Century”.  The only specific people mentioned are “Napoleon, Martin Luther, James Watt, Isaac Newton, Madame Curie, Anton Van Leeuwenhoek”, and figures from the Renaissance era such as “Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Palestrina, Shakespeare, Tallis”. The curriculum stresses events but no specific individuals are listed to be studied.
2. Reciting the pledge. The words “recognize”, “identify”, and “demonstrate respect for” are used, but no requirement is listed for “reciting” the pledge.
3. A study of the songs, anthems, or mottoes of the US or State of Utah
4. Holidays or Patriotic Holidays
5. The word “Republic”
6. The term “constitutional republic”
7. The word “Patriotism”
8. The word “President” (as in the US President)
9. The word “Congress”
10. The term “Founding Fathers”
11. The term “free enterprise system”. “Free market system” is used once as in “assess how the free market system in the United States serves as an engine of change and innovation”. It is also a vocabulary word.
12. The word “capitalism”.
13. The names of Government officials, state or national. Students are only asked to compare the roles and responsibilities of state, county, and local officials.
14. The US is referred to as a Representative Government, but there is no name given to the form of representative government (i.e. constitutional republic or democratic republic)
15. The word democracy is used numerous times: “In order to participate in civic responsibilities required of participants in democracy”; “Assess differing points of view on the role of the US as a world power (e.g. influencing the spread of democracy..)”; “Benchmark: The modern world has witnessed incredible change in global trade, the spread of democracy, the influence of technology, an increase in environmental awareness and advances in human knowledge”. It is also used as a vocabulary word. No information is given however to the specific form of government of the United States, other than discussing a representative government. The idea of a constitutional republic is never mentioned, leaving the idea that democracy is the form, not just a process, idea, or value.

Texas Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Grades K-5

The following words, concepts and phrases are found in the new Texas curriculum. (See, The new Texas curriculum (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter A, Elementary. Approved for second reading and final adoption.)

See: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=3643

This is for K-5 curriculum. Much of the following is introduced in Kindergarten, and reiterated and built upon throughout the following years.

Eight areas of focus are found in the Texas Social Studies Curriculum: government, citizenship; history; geography; economics; culture; science, technology and society; social studies skills. Each area of focus is studied as part of the general theme for the school year, i.e. Grade 3 studies community and world, Grade 4 studies Texas history, Grade 5 studies the history of the United States.

1. Introduces and emphasizes the study of historical figures such as Washington, Adams, Texas historical figures, etc. and mentions them specifically by name, throughout the curriculum. In Grade 3 alone, 10 historical men and women are to be taught specifically, along with groups of individuals, such as the “Founding Fathers”. See Texas curriculum website for a list of individuals included for study in the curriculum. Table 1 contains individuals to be “included” in the curriculum. Table 2 is designated as “such as” in the curriculum.
2. Teaches the Pledge of Allegiance, it’s meaning, and uses the word “recite”.
3. Students identify anthems and mottoes of the United States and the State of Texas.
4. Discusses celebrating and understanding patriotic holidays such as Veterans Day, Independence Day, Presidents Day, Constitution Day,  etc.
5. Uses the word “patriotism”, as in : “enables students to understand the importance of patriotism”.
6. They give intensive study during one specific week per year to the founding documents of the country. This week is called  “Celebrate Freedom Week”, wherein; Each social studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as provided under the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as determined by the board of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction concerning the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence must include the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the U.S. Constitution, and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the women’s suffrage movement. (B) Each school district shall require that, during Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of instruction prescribed under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12 study and recite the following text: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness–That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”
7. The term “Founding Fathers” is used, names are used, and students are to identify them and explain the contributions they made in the development of the national government.
8. The terms “President” and “Congress” are used, as in:  “identify past and present leaders in the national government, including the president and selected members of Congress” and “name current public officials, including mayor, governor, and president”.
9. The terms and meanings of a free enterprise system, and capitalism, are to be identified, as in: “Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of this course and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.” Students learn the character and benefits of the system, describe the development of the system within the state and nation, and how the system works.
10. Citizenship is a specific component of the curriculum. Characteristics of good citizenship are discussed, examples of historical and contemporary figures who exemplify good citizenship are given, and students are encouraged to actively participate in the democratic process*. “Citizenship: The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historical figures and other individuals. The student is expected to: identify characteristics of good citizenship, such as a belief in truthfulness, justice, equality, respect for oneself and others, responsibility in daily life, and participation in government by educating oneself about the issues, respectfully holding public officials to their word, and voting.”
11. The word “democratic” is used only in the following context: “…and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code.” The word democracy is not used. (Note: I am not advocating for removing this term, but rather for placing it within the appropriate context.)
12. The curriculum clearly and repeatedly discusses the US form of government as a constitutional republic.

*(this is the second of two times that the word “democratic” is used, the other is “democratic values” as in “appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation”)