What is the point of an achievement test if the standard is not on par with it? Perhaps Missouri should be looking at the test and ways to improve its own standard rather than looking for an outside standard. (At the same time, "teaching to the test" is a very dangerous trap to fall into, so any changes need to be wary of that)
More to the point, what is the point of a national standard if one expects MO to surpass it (or even, not meet it)? Simply for comparison to other states? The beauty of fifty different standards is the ability to learn, fairly quickly, what a "good" standard looks like compared to a "bad" standard. If someone like yourself thinks that MO needs higher standards, you have a much better chance of effecting change at the state level as opposed to a federal level. (If the national standards are not adequate, it will be difficult to change them. Because they cater to such a diverse group of people, there will be compromises-- something that one definitely does not want for educational standards.)
Despite the jargon, the MO standards --for 4th grade fractions, at least-- seem to be essentially the same as California. Missouri, instead of adopting a "national standard," should examine what it has and look to the other states for inspiration in changing them to create the optimal standard for Missouri.
Colleges and universities make their expectations for incoming freshmen very clear, yet remediation rates are high.
The MDHE Curriculum Alignment Initiative did great work to address the gap between 11/12 and college entrance, but gaps still exist K-10.
Information on the NEW DRAFT that may not have been released yet for public comment is available at missourimath.org
Caitlin: I agree that the standards are meaningless if the achievement tests aren't tied to it. I chose the fourth grade fractions without looking at the comparison ahead of time. I'll have to look up more on the whole math war and how it relates to standards, not just specific curriculum.
Lisa: Thanks for the link. I plan on a post about the disconnect between high school and college and remediation rates. I teach at the community college, so this is important to me.
Commenting by HaloScan
