Teachers' Implementation of and Stages of Concern Regarding English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in New York State

Problem In the State of New York, the adoption and implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and associated high-stakes assessments have sparked debates among educators, parents, students and politicians. Educators are concerned about its impact on students' test scores, graduation rates and school funding. With mounting accountability threats, teachers are forced to teach to the test in order to produce desirable test scores (Zimmerman, 2010, as cited in Pinar, 2012, p.17). Unfortunately, there were no studies that promoted understanding of teachers' concerns and the extent to which they were implementing the CCSS. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' concerns and the extent to which they were implementing the CCSS in language arts in the state of New York. Method The design of this study is a non-experimental quantitative design using survey research methodology. A survey using a modified Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) and a researcher-developed implementation of language arts core standards questionnaire were given to Grades 6-12 ELA teachers from 75 selected schools in New York state. Seventy-five teachers responded to the questionnaire with 53 useable responses. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate correlation. Results Respondents were mostly from urban/suburban schools (90.4%). Teachers implement 13 of the 15 common core standards in language arts at least once a week (M=4.02 to M=6.15). Levels of implementation were similar in both middle and high schools (p>.05) and appear to be unrelated to number of years implementing the CCSS. Approximately half (52.8%) were at concern stages 4 to 6. And overall, there is no relationship between stage of concern and levels of implementation of the common core standards. Conclusions Teachers are adequately implementing language arts common core standards in New York. Half of the teachers' concerns are generally about how implementation of the standards affect their students and their colleagues. The other half are concerned about how implementation affects them personally. To achieve the objective of the curriculum and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), teachers must continue to receive targeted professional development in their identified areas of needs.

Book Review: 36 Workshops to Get Kids Writing: From Aliens to Zebras

Many children’s librarians know that the five practices of Every Child Ready to Read, one of which is writing, help foster reading and improve literacy skills. The practice of writing also aligns with Common Core Standards at most grade levels. But often, libraries don’t include writing—or at least structured writing—in their program offerings. The author of this book, a youth services librarian, introduces compelling ideas and research evidence for why writing is so important. This introduction leads into the “hows” of presenting writing to children at the library.

A Musical Shared Book Experience for Little Excavator

Little Excavator, a recent publication by Anna Dewdney, is a delightful picture book for young children and perfect for a musical shared book experience in a group setting for preschool and first-grade children. In this article, connections between music learning and the typical shared book experience are outlined. Musical ways to share the book and extension activities for pitch and rhythm concepts are provided. The author includes alignments to National Core Music Standards as well as English Language Common Core Standards for music and reading teachers.

Relooking at the Common Core Standards Through the Lens of Equity – Closing the Achievement Gap

On the failure of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to close the “achievement gap” between whites and minorities, the Common Core State Standards were heralded as the best way of raising academic standards for all children around the country and closing the achievement gap. Numerous reports have emerged questioning the efficacy of the Common Core Standards to deliver what was promised. Public disillusion is apparent. This paper is an attempt to revisit the Common Core Standards through the lens of data generated by its implementation. Quantitative data available from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for 4th, 8th and 12th grade students and their achievements scores for mathematics and reading for the years 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 were taken into consideration. Results have revealed no increase, much less significant, in the average achievement scores and no indication that the achievement gap was being narrowed. Recommendations have been made for having a relook at the content and the implementation of the standards.