3/2010 Have National Education Standards Arrived?

Kevin R. Kosar

3.15.10 - Kevin R. Kosar - Although I count myself a supporter of national education standards, I cannot get terribly excited about the developments to date. The reason is simple—despite the progress, we are a long, long way from national education standards.

3/2010 Have National Education Standards Arrived?

March 15, 2010

By Kevin R. Kosar

Skimming the news, one might get the impression that the United States now has national education standards. “National School Standards, at Last,” smiled a MArch 14 New York Times editorial head.

Although I count myself a supporter of national education standards, I cannot get terribly excited about the developments to date.  The reason is simple—despite the progress, we are a long, long way from national education standards.

This is not to begrudge the Common Core State Standards effort.  Politically, it was a savvy maneuver—have non-feds (the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers) develop the standards.  Meanwhile, the Obama Administration has ponied up cash for the effort and hopes to encourage state adoption of the standards by awarding  Race to the Top funds to states that commit to adopting the standards.

As I see it, a host of issues remain between where we are and a system of national education standards.

(1) The proposed standards only cover mathematics and English.  This is a sound start, but a solid system of national standards also would include standards for science and history.  However, with hot-headed interest groups out there with extreme ideas about evolution and American history, adopting academically credible science and history standards may prove very difficult.

(2) Tests—even if the standards are good, high quality, aligned assessments need to be created and put to use by states.  If past performance is the least bit indicative of future results, well, I would not expect standards-based assessments to arrive any time soon.

(3) According to the New York Times, the Obama Administration intends to encourage adoption of the standards by adding 40 points to a state’s application for Race to the Top funds.  Considering that there are 500 possible points on the application, it is not clear if offering 40 points is an adequate incentive.

(4) Already, two states—Alaska and Texas—have thumbed their noses at the Common Core Standards, and Massachusetts and Virginia may complain that they already have great education standards and that it isn’t fair for them to have to switch standards.  This is not a crazy argument, and it raises the question: will the Obama Administration create a loophole that permits states with good standards also to qualify for the 40 points?  If it does, then we definitely won’t have national education standards, as one state after another will belly up to claim that their standards are just as good as the Common Core Standards.

(5) What happens when the Race to the Top funds run out?  Unless I am grossly misinformed, the Stimulus Act was a one-time deal.  It did not create an educational entitlement nor did it provide the Secretary of Education with an endless pot of money for all time.

Hence, one can easily imagine a scenario in which states agree to adopt the standards, take the money, and then drag their feet in adopting the standards.  After the Race to the Top money runs out, states might then quietly proclaim “mission accomplished.” continue....