A sweeping change now underway quietly in Connecticut is transforming school curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade with the aim of raising achievement and ensuring that all students are ready for college and career.
The new Common Core State Standards — a set of academic goals that were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers — are driving the changes. Along with 44 other states, Connecticut adopted those standards after they were issued in 2010.
The standards, however, are simply goals, and state administrators and teachers have spent many hours developing a new curriculum and training teachers in new strategies.
"We are trying to have teachers teach in a way that they were not taught themselves," said Alan Addley, Granby superintendent of schools. "That's a huge transformational change that cannot be simplified or overstated, to be honest. … It's just a huge undertaking, but it's one that we believe should happen and it takes time and resources."
Why have school boards, school superintendents. At my high school, it was all college prep, very high academic standards (I didn't take advantage of it), well rounded, and one goal, "Teach the student to THINK, learning will automatically come along" ...... "If the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught." Sheep, many years ago, set standards for their young, voila all sheep are now the same.
