I've had a number of questions on Idaho's Common Core education standards. I have received this from our State Department of Education to try to clarify some miss information that seems to have been going around:

Idaho chose to adopt in 2011 and are now known as the Idaho Core Standards. We have received several e-mails about his comments this morning, and I wanted to send you information to help answer some of the questions you may be receiving.

Q: Is the federal government requiring Idaho to adopt these standards?
A: No! Idaho voluntarily chose to adopt these standards in 2011. These standards were developed through a state-led effort. The federal government has not been involved in the process of developing or implementing these standards. In 2009, Superintendent Luna worked with a few other state superintendents to take a look at the academic standards in mathematics and English language arts. In Idaho, we face a challenge in which students do well academically while in grades K-12 but far too often graduate from high school unprepared for the rigors of college, professional-technical education or the workforce. Many other states are facing this same challenge. Therefore, Superintendent Luna decided to collaborate with other states in a state-led effort to develop higher, more rigorous standards in mathematics and English language arts. This process became known as the Common Core State Standards Initiative. They relied on experts in these academic fields as well as educators in all of the participating states to help develop these standards over the course of a year. In 2010, the standards were published. Each state then had the opportunity to review these standards and choose whether or not to adopt them.

Forty-five states have voluntarily chosen to adopt these standards in some form. Some states have added more standards onto the ones developed through the state-led effort. Others have chosen only to adopt either the mathematics or the English language arts portion. It is up to each state to decide. The state has not adopted a curriculum to go with these standards. These standards only set goals for what each child should know and be able to do by the end of each grade level. Each local school district or public charter school will determine the best curriculum and lesson plans to teach these standards to the students in their community.

Q: Did states follow the same process in adopting these standards or did they follow a new process?
A: In Idaho, we followed the same process we follow every five years in as we review academic standards in every content area and decide whether or not to adopt new standards. We brought in Idaho teachers to review these new, more rigorous standards in mathematics and English language arts. Idaho’s colleges and universities also weighed in, telling us that students will be ready for postsecondary education if they master these standards. We also asked the business community in Idaho to take a look at these standards during the review process. Based on all of this input, the Idaho State Board of Education chose to adopt these standards as Idaho’s new content standards in mathematics and English language arts in 2010. The Idaho Legislature adopted these standards as our new state standards in 2011. They are now known as the Idaho’s Core Standards in mathematics and English language arts.

Q: Are these standards lower than the standards the state had in the past or will they"dumb down” our schools?
A: No, absolutely not! The state specifically worked toward these new standards because they are higher and more rigorous than Idaho’s previous standards. Our colleges and universities as well as the business community have told us that students who graduate with mastery in these standards will be prepared for the rigors of postsecondary and the workforce. This is something we have been working toward for years. In addition, these standards are comparable with the standards of any other country in the world. You don’t have to take my word for it. Ask Idaho’s teachers. They will tell you. Here are clips of Idaho teachers saying just that: www.sde.idaho.gov/site/common/tips_advice.htm.

Q: Do these standards encourage teachers to teach math in a new and"untested way”?
A: No! In fact, one reason Idaho chose to adopt these standards is because the mathematics standards are aligned with the Idaho Math Initiative, an effort that began in 2008 to improve student achievement in mathematics across the state. Research has shown that teachers who have taken the Mathematical Thinking for Instruction course through the Idaho Math Initiative and applied these methods in their classrooms see better student achievement results in mathematics.

Q: Will these new standards de-emphasize literature, like Huckleberry Finn, or historical texts.
A: No, these standards make sure students in public high schools receive a well-rounded education in learning both literary texts as well as informational texts. The business community in Idaho and across the country has told us that students need to be prepared to read, write and analyze informational texts before they graduate from high school. We know this is a critical skill in any career or workplace. The standards also include literacy standards for history and other subject areas to make sure historical texts are incorporated throughout a student’s education.

Q: Will the federal government take ownership of these standards in the future?
A: No. This Initiative was and will remain a state-led effort. Just like the standards we had in place before we adopted these, the federal government has never reviewed or approved state standards, and they have not reviewed or approved these. These are Idaho standards. If the federal government ever tries to approve or regulate these, no one will fight harder than we will in opposition.
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