“New and improved!”

“Doctor recommended!”

“Clinically proven!”

No doubt you’ve seen claims like these on products. Have you ever seen this claim on a curriculum:

“Aligns with Common Core Standards!”

You might have questioned, “What in the world does that mean?” Or if you are familiar with common core, you might be wondering what difference it makes to your homeschool efforts.

What are Common Core Standards?

Because in the United States education is a state not federal responsibility, each state determines what is taught in schools. This means that what is taught in one state might be different than what is taught in another. Also, standards may vary from state to state. What is an acceptable level of competency in one state may be different in another. In an effort to bring consistency in content and quality, the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers created Common Core of Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts. Essentially it is a list of learning goals for students K-12. It is based on research from various sources and is intended to result in students who are ready for college or the workforce regardless of where they attended school. You can find out much more about Common Core Standards at www.corestandards.org.

Common Core and the Homeschool Family

Your first reaction might be: “This is a public school thing. Doesn’t affect us.” Oh, but it does!! As I alluded in the introduction, many curricula targeted for homeschool are now aligning with common core standards. Is this bad? Good? As with everything, there are valid reasons on both sides of the argument.

Thumbs Up!

If a homeschool family is hoping to transition into public school, choosing a curriculum that aligns with common core standards could be a helpful tool. The transition could be more seamless if the curriculum used at home and school is similar in standards and approach.

If a family is new to homeschool, it can be a source of reassurance to know what they are choosing to follow has been approved by a large body of research. It could be a helpful starting point or guide for someone who is wondering, “Exactly what should a 4th grader know?”

Thumbs Down!

“Aligns with Common Core” is an instant turn-off for some homeschool families. The response is to the effect of, “if I wanted Common Core standards, my child would be in public school!” Many families chose to homeschool so that THEY (not the state) could determine the content and standards for the children’s education. They seek curriculum because it is different from what is found in public education, not aligned.

Some families feel that common standards are a detriment to individual excellence, that the only thing everyone will have in common is bland mediocrity. Also, because the Common Core Standards initiative is designed for states to have some autonomy in what is taught, some might argue that it is not comprehensive; that it is lacking and consequently curricula so labeled may be lacking as well.

The Label that Matters

Whether or not they have actually written them down, most homeschool families have their own “core standards.” These are learning goals they hope their children reach, as well as character traits they hope to develop, and values they wish to instill. Perhaps the more important question to ask when looking at a curriculum is, “Does this match our family’s goals?” Of course this means looking beyond the label and delving deeper into the content and scrutinizing the presentation. This is more work, but well worth it when you can determine your own stamp of approval.

“Aligns with our family’s standards” isn’t a label you are likely to find printed in a curriculum advertisement, but it’s the one that matters most!

Global Student Network Addresses Common Core Questions

On 3/11/13

Tina from Hollenbeck Home Learning addressed several questions to Global Student Network (GSN) with serious concerns about Common Core Standards. In red, were the responses given by GSN.

Have you already altered any of your materials for the express purpose of aligning with the CCS? If so, which materials? And what, specifically, have you changed?

We have both. We have courses that have been switched to the common core and we have all the courses that are not. It would be each individual families choice as to which one they wanted to use.

Do you have future plans to alter any of your materials in any way in order to align with the CCS? If so, which materials and what specific changes are you planning to make? When will you make the changes?

We will have course updates aligning to the common core but as stated above we will have both course options available.

If you have aligned or plan to align with CCS, what justification do you use for such a move? And why is that more important than helping homeschoolers to retain educational freedom?

You can still obtain your freedom with us as we will have the aligned and not aligned courses. We respect your right to choose.

If you have not aligned and do not plan to align with CCS, how strong is your commitment to remaining independent?

We will continue to provide both options for our families. We will not do away with the original version of our courses. We believe that one of the reasons families homeschool is to be able to decide for themselves what is the best educational path for their children. For this reason, we many options available to assist all homeschool families on their individual educational journey.

Tina kindly responded:

Thank you very much for your response. We appreciate the fact that you value homeschoolers’ right to remain independent of government directives and that you’ll continue to offer your original versions. Truly, we’re grateful for the availability of options.

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Email: JHoffman@GlobalStudentNetwork.com