One of the key aspects of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is the tougher demands for reading. The CCSS require students to read texts that are on grade level, even if students need assistance completing the assignment.
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute recently released a study by Tim Shanahan andAnn Duffett examinging the CCSS and new reading demands for secondary school students entitled, Common Core in the Schools: A First Look at Reading Assignments.
Fordham researchers surveyed 1,154 public-school teachers of English, language arts, or reading: 300 elementary teachers (fourth and fifth grade), 370 middle-school teachers (sixth, seventh, and eighth grade), and 484 high-school teachers (ninth and tenth grade). All the teachers are in the 46 states that have adopted the Common Core. Teachers were asked a series of questions about how they approach assigning texts to their students. They were also given a list of texts, both Common Core-recommended and not, and asked to indicate which, if any, they currently require their students to read. The results of both indicated that teachers are not yet assigning books that are on grade level.
These results suggest a gap between what the CCSS say teachers should be doing—assigning tough texts, regardless of student ability—and what is actually occurring in the classroom. The challenge of aligning curriculum and instruction to the rigor of the CCSS still lies ahead.
For more information: http://www.edexcellence.net/publications/common-core-in-the-schools