As of mid-2014, 44 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). However, the implementation process is at different stages for each of them. According to a study conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, teachers' opinions of the Standards change over time in correlation with how far along in the process of adopting Common Core-aligned curriculum their state is. Additionally, math, science, social studies and English/language arts (ELA) teachers all differ in where they are in the adaption process. Despite educators increasingly developing favorable views of the CCSS, most feel they weren't properly prepared to teach aligned curricula.
Further along equates to positive views
The study revealed that teachers' opinions of the CCSS are most positive further along in the process of adopting them. The survey broke down implementation into four stages: has not started (group one), in its early stages (group two), is underway and mostly complete (group three), and is fully complete (group four). Of the teachers working in states where the implementation process hasn't begun, 40 percent feel the Common Core will provide students with a high-quality education. In the second group, 56 percent agreed, and in the third group 66 percent agreed. Schools that have finished implementing the Standards had the most positive outlook, as 73 percent of their teachers believe the CCSS will improve education quality.
Other studies have revealed that teachers' main frustration with the CCSS is that educators lack preparation or feel that implementation is moving too fast. Teachers in schools that have completed the implementation process likely have the most exposure to the Standards, perhaps addressing the preparation issue.
Different stages of implementing the Standards
The study found that math classrooms are furthest along with implementing Common Core-aligned curricula, followed by ELA, science and social studies. The report suggested that teachers who have completely integrated the CCSS are most likely to have positive views of it, and that because math and ELA teachers are furthest along in the process of implementing the Standards, they typically have a more favorable outlook.
Teachers feel unprepared
Another study, conducted by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, found that many teachers don't feel they have the proper amount of training before beginning Common Core implementation. In fact, 60 percent of teachers only received a total of three days of training prior to introducing CCSS-aligned curricula in their classrooms. Additionally, more than half of the teachers felt that class materials, such as textbooks, were inadequate for helping them and their students adjust to the new Standards.
