A recent report published by nonprofit EdReports.org showed that 85% of K-8 math textbooks evaluated do not align with Common Core standards. Out of the 20 books that were assessed, 17 failed to meet the standards.
According to EducationDrive, 46 people conducted the evaluation and of those individuals, half were current teachers. All of the books under scrutiny were read by each individual, and there were weekly meetings via videoconference where they compared their findings.
The texts under review were by Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
As a proponent of Common Core standards, I find the percentage of textbooks that do not align with Common Core very frustrating. Common Core was created to help measure student success — but if we don’t have books that follow the standards, it poses additional challenges for both teachers and students.
I know that Common Core gets a bad rap, particularly when it comes to math standards but I’ve found that Common Core math standards actually help emphasize learning and are student-friendly. I hope we can find textbooks that better align with Common Core curriculum to help our students succeed, and also to make things more clear for our teachers.
It is no secret that Common Core math has stirred up a lot of controversy around our country, and some people even say that it is confusing. The transition to this way of teaching has made people uncomfortable — but I believe with time, people who give it a chance will adjust and see the plethora of benefits that Common Core offers.
