Which Came First? The Common Core Standards Or Assessments and Accountability?

This is how the Federal Government got their grubby hands on our schools in order to force-feed us the new "state-led" Common Core Standards.
 
Many who have been out pushing Common Core have been claiming that you have to "talk Standards before you can talk Assessments and Accountability."
 
The reality is that the CCSS were developed AFTER Obama changed the reporting and accountability requirements in an effort to be more "common" among the states.  This naturally led to claiming that if you're going to have an accurate accountability system, then you need to have a common curriculum.  To be fair and all.


From the 2013 Grad Nation Report:
 
 
"NCLB marked the first time, on a national basis, that schools and school districts were held accountable for graduation rates. The accountability pressure exerted to raise graduation rates, however, was largely muted when the states were allowed to determine how they would measure graduation rates...from their schools. Not until the U.S. Department of Education’s 2008 graduation rate regulations were all states required, beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, to report a common graduation rate measure and to set ambitious graduation rate goals and rates of progress for all students and all subgroups.


As a result of the failure to reauthorize NCLB, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) responded to requests from states to create flexibility through waivers from some of the provisions of federal law. This waiver process required states to adopt a core set of education reforms—implementation of the common core standards, turn-arounds of their lowest-performing schools, and teacher and principal evaluation systems.

 

In 2005, members of the National Governors Association, deeply concerned about strategies for improving schools, reached consensus that high school graduation rates should be calculated in a uniform way across the states; then, in a pioneering compact, they generated a formula for doing so.

The formula and associated definitions were later refined in a rulemaking document released by the U.S. Department of Education in December 2008. States were expected to report graduation rates using the Cohort Rate beginning with school year 2010-2011.

With the timely reauthorization of NCLB stalled in Congress, and with NCLB in need of improvements, in 2012 the Department of Education (ED) created a flexibility policy for states (“waivers”) to create some positive revisions to NCLB in the absence of legislative action and to 'better focus on improving student learning and increasing the quality of instruction.' "

The goal of the waivers is to 'provide educators and state and local leaders with flexibility...in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction.' "

 

Within this flexibility policy, "ED is maintaining the reporting requirements under the 2008 regulations."

 

"The most recent data on graduation rates and the challenges that remain for the nation to reach a 90% high school graduation rate provide support for ED’s continued push through flexibility waivers and the school improvement grant program for dramatic reforms in high schools with graduation rates below 60 percent."

(Remember, it was Obama's Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, who said, "The fact is, higher standards will make some of your states look bad at the same time.  So, I promise to work WITH you to ensure that your states will NOT be penalized for doing the RIGHT THING.")


"These data also suggest the need for federal policy to maintain and strengthen accountability for raising the graduation rates of low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency.   

 

 

As the most recent graduation rate data show, the students furthest from this goal are those who will need the most help to meet the Common Core State Standards - students who are economically disadvatages, have disabilities, or have limited English proficiency.

Although Common Core outlines standards specific to ELA and mathematics, and will eventually do so for science and social studies, many educators believe standards should be developed for other areas of study and student competencies."

 

 

The Science Standards are set to roll out this month.... 

 

Arne Duncan's View Of The Role Of Our Schools

 

Grad Nation Summit

February 2013

 

Be sure to pay close attention to how often Mr. Duncan suggests (or doesn't suggest) the role of PARENTS in the education process.

 

"Schools can't do this work by themselves.  Where schools sweep their children out the door at 2:30 and onto the streets is simply not good enough... We have 100,000 schools in this country.  Every school has classrooms, they have libraries, many have computer labs, they all have gyms, some have swimming pools.  They don't belong to me, to the Principal, or to the union or to the teachers.  They belong to the community.  We should really be opening these doors and just a very different vision of what schools should be.  Where schools truly become the hearts, the hubs of community life and family life, then I become optimistic about where children can go. 

 

So, the idea of schools being open 12, 13, 14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, 12 months out of the year is just a VERY different vision.

 

Bringing in the non-profit partners, the social service agencies, faith-based institutions and community colleges.  Having a range of programming, academic enrichment being at the core for students with dance, and drama, and art, and music, and chess, and yearbook, and robotics, and GED programs. 

 

We served tens of thousands of students in Chicago three meals a day- breakfast, lunch and dinner because we worried about them not eating at night.

 

When schools truly become the hearts of the neighborhood, then great things happen for kids."

Once a community organizer, always a community organizer....

CCSS Partner: The Lumina Foundation

The Lumina Foundation is a Partner of the National Governor's Association and the National Council of State Legislators, Achieve and the Council of Chief State School Officers who have been pushing for the implementation of the CCSS.  Including our own Senator Rich Crandall and Rep. Goodale.  They also donate millions to leftist groups such as Soros' Tides Foundation, New America Foundation, The Brookings Institute, The Center for American Progress, and the Aspen Institute.

Arizona is a recipient of grants from the Lumina Foundation.
Phoenix College | Phoenix, AZ

$600,000 to support efforts by phoenix college to increase the number of latino students earning high quality postsecondary degrees and credentials by strengthening seamless pathways to college and tracking educational and career success of high need youth in the greater phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona.  10/01/2011 through 09/30/2015

 

University of Arizona Office of Community Relations

$280,250 to support participation of higher education institutions in southern arizona in an oecd-organized initiative.  This grant will allow personnel from higher education institutions, government, business and community-based organizations to come together to identify opportunities for productive partnerships and to understand how to develop and assess the effectiveness of those partnerships that will result in a regional action plan for moving the work forward.  7/1/09 - 6/30/11 (Coincidentally, Dr. McCallum, a professor from the UofA was working on creating the Math portion of the Common Core Curriculum during this same time.)

 

The third annual Grad Nation Summit was held at the end of February.  Grad Nation was formed after Obama announced his National Equity Goal of attaining a 90% graduation rate by 2020 in order to "significantly reduce the achievement gap for all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, disability, language, sex, and socioeconomic status." In attendance was the VP of Strategic Impact for the Lumina Foundation, Dr. James Applegate.  Dr. Applegate made statements such as:

"A 1980 a college graduate earned 40% more over a lifetime than a high school graduate....the current rate will be about 100% by 2025.  Now, that might be great for the few, the wealthy, and the S.A.T. gifted who get to GO to college and GET that 100% premium..."

 

"We do a darn good job educating the wealthy people....."

 

"There is a class-based denial of opportunity."

 

The reality: Common Core Standards has nothing to do with implementing "rigorous" standards and everything to do with class warfare.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, about those "rigorous" standards....

 

How does a country attain Obama's goal of a 90% graduation rate by 2020 without lowering the bar through the elimination of half of the material and slowing the pace that it is taught?

 

How is waiting until 9th grade to teach algebra instead of 7th or 8th considered "rigorous?"

 

According to the Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, there are currently 1500 failing schools in the U.S. out of a total of 100,000. It is anticipated that by 2020, there will be approximately 1000 failing schools.

 

So, once again, the federal government is imposing new regulations and funding to overhaul and disrupt a system that will help less than 2% of the involved population.

 

We've seen this story before.

 

 

Arne Duncan Explains the Common Core Standards Initiative

James Madison said,

 

“I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than there are by violent usurpations.”

The following is a transcript of Arne Duncan's speech at the National Governor's Education Symposium on  June 19, 2009 , just before the formal announcement of the curriculum was made public.  He reveals which (Democrat) Governors were behind the initial push for a common core standard and reminds the Governors in attendance of their roles in defining the narrative that this was a "state-led" initiative....that just happens to have had a lot of help from leftist Foundations and the federal government. 

Did we mention it is state-led? 

I'd like to start by saluting Governor Hunt and Governor Romer (Democrats) for their vision and courage on the issue of education reform.

Governor Hunt called for common national standards when it was NOT politically popular. This institute (Hunt Institute where the meeting took place) has done important work with the National Research Council which shows that there IS the political will to accomplish the task today.

Likewise, Governor Romer led the call for higher standards as the Governor and as a Superintendent in Los Angeles. Throughout the 2008 election, he kept this issue on the national dialogue. We would NOT have had 46 states and 3 territories agree to adopt common high standards if it weren't for his hard work. That recent breakthrough is absolutely remarkable and it clearly signals this is an idea who's time has come. Creating common standards hasn't always been popular. Right now though, there's a growing consensus that this is the right thing to do.

(Still waiting for the "state-led" part)

The list of supporters is long. The NEA, the AFT, the Council of Great City Schools, and business leaders.

(Wait for it.....)

It is especially important that this is started at the STATE LEVEL because some people will raise concerns that common standards across states will lead to federal overreach.....So, let's be clear...this effort is being led by Governors and Chief State School Officers. This is YOUR work. This is YOUR agenda.

Tonight, I'm announcing that the Obama Administration will help pay for the costs of developing those tests. As you know, we have $5B of competing grant funds under the recovery act to help advance the four items on our reform agenda. Congress carved out $650M for "What Works in Innovation" funds for districts and non profits to push reform at the local level. The Administration will dedicate up to $350M in the remaining funds to help develop assessments. We know the financial stress you are under and want to remove the financial constraints. We haven't worked out all of the details yet but in the coming months, we will develop an application process that supports this effort. Collaboration makes it possible for this to happen quickly and to happen affordability.

 

Now again, some people will claim that a commonly created test is a threat to the state's control. Let's remember who's in charge.YOU are. YOU create the test. YOU will drive the process and YOU will call the shots.

 

This is your opportunity to be bold. To be creative. To think big and push hard on the kinds of reform that we know will create FUNDAMENTAL and LASTING CHANGE.

So, while this effort is being led at the state level, as it should be, it is absolutely a NATIONAL challenge that we must meet together or we will compromise our COLLECTIVE future.

(NOTE:  See how it works? It's classic community organizing 101. Using grass-roots organizing to unite otherwise opposing groups together under a common cause such as "common state standards." Then, make others THINK they are in control while you steer them, fund them and then attach some strings to remind them who is really in charge.


The federal government's strings?  Race to the Top money. Those states who applied for and received RTTT funding would later be REQUIRED to sign off on the Common Core curriculum)

Duncan continued:

But, let me be clear...this money will only go to states that are absolutely pushing reform in real and measurable ways.We've invited education stakeholders across the spectrum to get involved. We encourage you to work with your districts, with educators, with non-profits, (such as Achieve) and LABOR UNIONS to put together the very best application possible.

 

We have talked to leading Foundations (Gates Foundation, Noyce Foundation, etc) and they are eager to support your work. So, I urge you (tell you) to reach out to them and draw on their expertise and on their resources.

 

There's never been this much money on the table and there may never again be....

Once these standards are completed, I encourage you to ADOPT them so that everyone will know that you are serious. And that's when your leadership will absolutely be tested because people will push back.

The fact is, higher standards will make some of your states look bad at the same time. So, I promise to work WITH you to ensure that your states will NOT be penalized for doing the RIGHT THING.

Improving education is not just a moral obligation of society, it is not just an economic imperative. It's the

CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE OF OUR GENERATION

and the only way to achieve the vision of equality spelled out by our Founding Fathers.

 

We will continue everything in our power to fulfill your COLLECTIVE VISION of great schools, producing great citizens and great do-ers.

This certainly isn't the vision of the Founding Fathers WE know....

Attempting to equalize the curriculum standards throughout the country for the collective good will NEVER work.  It never does.

Thank you Governor Brewer, Rich Crandall, Tom Horne, John Huppenthal, the Arizona Board of Education, and all of the members of the House who voted for HB2047 imposing Common Core and PARCC assessements in our state for showing your ignorance of the tenth amendment.

SHAME ON YOU!

 

Rich Crandall Wants You To Know

"We started looking at the Common Core for Arizona over five years ago, long before Race to the Top was even a gleam in Obama's eye.  I was in the original meetings with Jim Zaharis, the Board of Regents, the State Board of Education and several lawmakers back in 2008..."  And that it wasn't just "dreamed up three weekends ago over a couple of beers."

Which means that Senator Crandall wants you to know that he was willing to commit Arizona to a set of standards that hadn't even been written yet.

(FYI:  This will be a long and well-documented entry which will lay the groundwork for our future articles)

The formal announcement to create Common Core wasn't made until July 2009.  Although, it didn't stop those behind the initiative from pressuring states to sign off on an "un-binding" Memo of Understanding even before July in an effort to give the illusion of "state" support.  Including Arizona.


The only way for us to know what REALLY happened behind the scenes here in Arizona, or more specifically, who sold us down the river, is to look at the minutes from the meetings that Senator Crandall claims he attended.

And, of course, find out who is behind the national push for CCSS.

Surely Senator Crandall is fully aware of those who are behind the initiative.  For some who are just learning about this now, here is a quick family history of the groups involved in creating, writing and implementing the "state-led" effort.

1996:  Achieve is born

2001:  Achieve joins with Education Trust, the Fordham Institute (partner with Center for American Progress and Education Reform Now!  One of the trustees is Diane Ratvich, a founder of the Common Core Initiative) and National Alliance of Business to create the American Diploma Project

2004:  ADP releases report "Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts" which identifies a common core in English and math or "benchmarks" that students need for success in college

2005:  ADP is launched in 13 states

2006:  ADP creates the College and Career Ready Policy Institute (Arizona is one of the "lucky" states to be chosen to assist the Institute from September 2008 to December 2009 in developing a state assessment system)

2007:  ADP Assessment Consortium launches to develop common Algebra II assessment...the largest multi-state assessment to date

2008:  Achieve releases "Out of Many, One: Toward Rigorous Common Core Standards From the Ground Up"

2009:  Work begins to develop the Common Core Standards

2010:  Final Common Core Standards are released;  Achieve begins serving  as Project Management Partner for PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers)

2011:  Achieve begins managing the "state-led" development of K-12 Next Generation Standards


Partners of the CCRPI include the National Governor's Association, the EducationCouncil , the Data Quality Campaign  and:

Jobs for the Future whose funders include the Bill/Melinda Gates Foundation, George Soro's Open Society, the Joyce Foundation, Annie-Casey Foundation, Corporation for National and Community Service among other donors of leftist, big government, nanny state causes. 

Partners include the National Council of State Legislators (which Crandall is an at-large member.  Rep. Goodale sits on the NCSL Education Committee which is why she introduced HB2047 in the AZ State legislature), the National Governor's Association, the AFL-CIO, Open Society, SEIU, Brookings Institute (funded by Gates and Ford Foundations), National Council of La Raza and the Center for American Progress.


You know, the usual groups one might see involved in writing the standards in a "state-led" effort.

AIMS TASK FORCE

Meeting Minutes

March 11, 2009 (just a couple of weeks after Obama signed the Recovery and Reinvestment Act which included money for Race to the Top)

A presentation was made on the work of the College and Career-Ready Policy Institute (which AZ was a participant) relating to student assessment. This presentation was made by Dr. Karen Nicodemus.

March 25, 2009

The AIMS task force was introduced to a report titled, "Tough Choices or Tough Times" funded almost exclusively by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Annie Casey Foundation, Lumina Foundation and Hewlett Foundation (donates to the United Nations, Tides Foundation, Open Society, and gave $50k to Achieve in 2012). 

The report gives recommendations on what the government should fund such as universal early childhood education, equality of pay, and creating more equality and fairness between poor schools and wealthy schools. 

ARIZONA BOARD OF EDUCATION

Meeting Minutes

May 18, 2009

This is the first discussion at an Arizona Board of Education meeting about the Common Core Initiative.  This took place two months before the formal announcement by Obama's Education Secretary, Arne Duncan.

Dr. Butterfield who made the presentation in front of the Board stated that the CCSSO and the NGA Center for Best Practices had been working together to build support and relationships to create the "condition necessary to embark on common core standards as an initiative."  The initiative would include rigorous content skills and be internationally benchmarked.  Dr. Butterfield said that the states participating in the initiative were REQUIRED to have signatures of approval from the Governor and the Chief State School Officer.  At the time, forty states had expressed interest in participating and at least 15 states had officially registered.


 December 7, 2009

The presenter, Deputy Associate Superintendent Cheryl Lebo, stated that one of the main goals of the initiative is to equalize some of the access to educational excellence.  48 states and 3 territories have signed on to the Common Core Standards Initiative leg by the NGA Center and CCSS.  This work will affect 43.5 million students which is about 87% of the student population.

Ms. Lebo claimed that Common Core was being developed based on research and evidence from leading national organizations and high-performing states and counties.  CCSSO and the NGA Center in partnership with ACT have established the common core development, advisory process and validation process.  Public comment was scheduled to begin in December and the work to be finalized in the fall of 2010.


Ms. Lebo stated the following would be requirements for state adoption:
1.  It would be voluntary, however, there is a condition of RTTT funding
2.  Adoption would need to be in its entirety or in its entirety with up to an additional 15% added (so, states can only have 15% input in a "state-led" curriculum)
3.  Upon adoption, the organizations will encourage consortia of states in the development of assessments and curricular materials.

Benefits of adoption:
Eligible to receive RTTT funding
Eligible to apply for $350M grant for assessments
THEN it benefits students, parents and teachers


January 25, 2010

Supt. Horne signed the "non-binding" MOU (Memo of Understanding) for the assessment portion of the CCSS.

Ms. Lebo provided the Board with a time-line for the CCSS work. 

Mr. Jaime Molera stated he was not in favor of the process and was concerned for long-term outcome.  Supt. Horne stated the Board will have the authority to approve or disapprove the state standards.

(which is actually not true as those states who accepted RTTT funding were REQUIRED to sign up for the CCSS)

Remember, the standards still have not been finalized.

February 22, 2010

The ADE is committed to supporting, establishing and implementing standards and has developed an implementation plan to transition to the CCSS.

Standards still have not been completed.

June 28, 2010

Final presentation for the CCSS was given by one of the writers, University of Arizona Professor, Dr. McCallum.  The public would have 30 days to make additions to the 15% allowed by the state (in this "state-led" initiative).

The Board was asked to formally adopt the CCSS with a reminder that all states involved in Race to the Top were required to adopt the CCSS by August 2nd.

Board member Mr. Thomas Tyree moved to adopt the standards.  Diane Ortiz-Parsons seconded.

The Governor, Board member Dr. Balentine and Supt. Horne also signed an MOU on the PARCC assessment portion of CCSS.  Because Arizona was one of the first states to join the consortium, these states would be the only ones who would qualify for grant funding. 

Arizona would be a governing member of the consortium and the two voting members would be Dr. Vicki Balentine and RICH CRANDALL.   



We've shown you how CCSS was able to be implemented in our state, no thanks to our state "leaders", now let's see who is behind Common Core and how its tentacles even made its way into our state in the first place.


While the push for a common standard among the states began in the mid 1990's, the Common Core Initiative itself began in early 2008 by New York University research professor Diane Ravitch and Antonia Cortese with the American Federation of Teachers (an affiliate of the AFL-CIO).  The Common Core Initiative was a project that received a majority of their funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In April 2008, the AFT began yet another push to adopt a national common standard for every grade and in every subject.

If Senator Crandall is proud to say that he has been behind the Common Core Initiative for the last five years, then he must not have a problem with the fact that it was pushed by the AFL-CIO and funded by the leftist Gates Foundation

And....

he certainly must be aware of the people who ended up writing the curriculum.  

They are just the people one might expect to see writing curriculum standards for our public schools.

ELA

1.  Jim Patterson - Lead writer

Mr. Patterson is the lead content specialist for the English and reading portions of the EXPLORE, PLAN and ACT tests and has worked on the development of ACT's College Readiness Standards.  He will help to adapt the CCSS to the college entrance exams.

2.  Susan Pimentel - Director of Standards Works and Achieve

In 1999, Ms. Pimentel authored the book, "Raising the Standard:  A Eight-Step Guide For Schools And Communities."  In the book she writes about laying the groundwork for lasting school reform because genuine, long-lasting reform grows from the grass-roots.  She lists organizations that can help "guide" the standards such as Achieve and the American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO).

She said, "Ours is a society that thrives on change....Reform is hard work"

Ms. Pimentel donated over $22,000 to Democrats in 2012 (mostly to Obama's campaign).  Significantly more than the $4000 donations she made in 2008.

3.  David Coleman - With Student Achievement Partners. 

Mr. Coleman founded the GROW Network which was later acquired by McGraw-Hill.  Last year, GE made an $18M donation to SAP which is odd since  Obama gave GE a big bailout.

Mr. Coleman donated $15,000 to the Obama campaign in 2012.


MATH

1.  Bill McCallum - Lead writer/Professor at the University of Arizona

Mr. McCallum has donated thousands of dollars since 2008 to Democrats including the Obama campaign, the DNC, Moveon.org and Gabby Giffords.  He also made a $100 donation to Randy Parraz's Citizens for a Better Arizona during the 2011 recall effort against Arizona Senate President, Russell Pearce.

2.  Jason Zimba - With the Center for Advancement of Public Action (CAPA)

Mr. Zimba worked alongside David Coleman with the GROW Network.  Also, CAPA is a non-profit that started in 1991 and is all about "Equity and Accountability."  Bennington College in VT has a new CAPA curriculum which focuses on human rights, transformation, education, social change, and community organizing.

Mr. Zimba donated $1000 to Obama's campaign in 2012 and $2300 in 2008.

3.  Phil Daro - Fellow and Board Member with Noyce Foundation (founded in memory of Dr. Robert Noyce, co-founder of Intel)

Between 2010 - 2011 the Noyce Foundation gave $500,000 in grants to Achieve, the National Research Council and the National Governor's Association for Best Practices...groups directly involved with Common Core.

Did you catch that?  One of the main writers of Common Core sits on a board who donated $500,000 to the groups who, at the same time, were out pushing CCSS across the country. 

Mr. Daro also donated to Obama in 2012.


Surely Senator Crandall had to have been aware...

He must also know that Governor Brewer appointed former Intel CEO, Dr. Craig Barrett, to chair her newly created Ready Council designed to market   implement Common Core in Arizona.  Which means that Senator Crandall probably doesn't have a problem with Dr. Barrett also being the Chairman of Achieve, the non-profit organization who is helping implement the assessment of Common Core and the same organization that received a significant amount of money from those who wrote the standards in this "state-led" effort. (see the Foundation donors above)


Perhaps Senator Crandall, Governor Brewer and Supt. Horne heard the speech by Obama's Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, in June 2009 when he spoke about the CCSS to the National Governor's Association,

"This is your opportunity to be bold. To be creative. To think big and push hard on the kinds of reform that we know will create FUNDAMENTAL and LASTING CHANGE...

So, while this effort is being led at the state level, as it should be, (wink wink) it is absolutely a NATIONAL challenge that we must meet together or we will compromise our COLLECTIVE future.

There's never been this much money on the table and there may never again be....

We will continue everything in our power to fulfill your COLLECTIVE VISION of great schools, producing great citizens and great do-ers."

We'll post Mr. Duncan's full text in another entry and show you how "state-led" this effort really was....


Apparently, Sentor Crandall wants us to know that for the last five years, he has been working side-by-side not only with leftist organizations, but with a radical federal administration whose goal is to fundamentally transform our educational system and destroy anything that resembles the 10th amendment along the way. 

And he sits on our state's Senate Education Committee? 

Before Senator Crandall and others in the State Senate cast their vote for HB2047, perhaps they should speak to one of the original founders of the Common Core Initiative, Diane Ravitch, because she would tell them why she now OPPOSES it.

Remembering Breitbart...

“But I have also met the America that was rendered silent by the media and is now shaking itself to life again. These are the years that we will look back on and question whether we did enough for our country and for our children. That’s why I’m so determined, so pissed, so righteously indignant. Excuse me while I save the world.”

- Andrew Breitbart  (2/1/69 - 3/1/12)

 

WAR!