Reading and language arts achievement for traditional versus state-mandated common core fourth grade instruction across student ability levels

Abstract EN

The Common Core State Standards initiative was released in 2010 in several states to replace the common core individual state standards that have reflected on the instructional adaptations as well.

The purpose of this study is was to determine if there is a difference in reading and language arts achievement between fourth grade students receiving statemandated common core instruction versus traditional state based standards instructional methods, and to determine if any differences, between the two approaches are were similar for students of different ability levels.

This study utilizes utilized a causal comparative design.A significant difference was found in favor of Common Core Standards.

In the period of pre-common core, each state had its own definition and understanding of skillfulness requirements for the educational outcomes at each grade level which has been addressed as a probable contributor to the lack of standardization.

That, in some way, leaded to the reconsidering the construction of common core standards and their outcomes for the possible improvement.

To motivate the reform of education, the federal Federal Race to the Top grants was were announced to competitively encourage states in adopting the Common Core Standards initiative in 2009.

These Common Core Standards were developed first into the college- and career-readiness standards, and then integrated into the final form K-12 standards.

This initiative and its development of the Common Core Standards was driven by several parties including the nation's governors and education commissioners, through their representative organizations, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

The task of developing the Common Core State Standards was not entirely excluded to the education leaders.

Teachers, from their side, have played a significant role in developing the amended Common Core Standards.

Teachers’ involving involvement was in forms of serving on the Work Groups and Feedback Groups for the English Language Arts and math standards, being members of teams that states held to come up with the regular feedback on initial sketch of the standards, and providing input on the Common Core State Standards throughout the two public comment stages.

By the year 2014, forty three states have adopted the CCSS in English Language Arts/literacy and math and they are currently in the process of applying the standards locally.

Consequently, there is a need to examine the outcomes of applying the CCSS by investigating the differences between the traditional methods and CCSS throughout students’ achievement in language arts and reading and among different ability levels.