A recent Herald editorial justifiably places much trust in the National Assessment of Educational Progress as an honest gauge of student knowledge, the "Nation's Report Card." ("Don't let reforms weaken North Dakota's K-12 standards," Page A4, May 5.)
The editorial also levels deserved criticism at North Dakota, which (along with many other states) used testing standards that comparative NAEP data exposed as being disturbingly low.
Unfortunately, it does not follow that Common Core has raised the bar for laggard states with its centrally managed, uniform standards for all learners.
The editorial failed to mention NAEP's latest report card indicating that Common Core is failing in one of its most basic missions: improving students' readiness for higher education.
NAEP's nationwide sampling found that only 37 percent of high school seniors performed well enough in math and English to be college-ready.
ADVERTISEMENT
Overall, scores in math declined from 2013 to 2015, while English marks were stagnant. Declines in both English and math were most pronounced for students in the lowest percentiles-the very students that the Core was supposed to help the most.
In writing Common Core in 2009, a small group of education fat cats drew on their own theories rather than the experience of classroom teachers. So if North Dakota State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler sincerely seeks a fresh start with state-developed educational standards, there is ample reason to believe North Dakota teachers can do far better than the Common Core elitists did for students and their families.
Robert Holland
Arlington Heights, Ill.
Holland is senior fellow for education policy at the Heartland Institute.
