There is much misinformation and controversy about the core standards in Utah. My support of the Utah Standards are based on:
*Utah having complete control of the standards in all subject areas
*Curriculum is developed in the local district by teachers in the classrooms
*No federal over reach in the setting of standards or curriculum.
The responsibility of the State Board of Education found in the Utah code under 53A 1 401 1 is:
…general control and supervision of the state's public education system
Administration of Public Education at the State Level
Section 402
Board to establish minimum standards for public schools.
This can be found in the Utah Constitution Article IV, section 10:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this State, and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity.
My duties:
53A-3-402. Powers and duties generally.
(1) Each local school board shall:
(a) implement the core curriculum utilizing instructional materials that best correlate to the core curriculum (standards) and graduation requirements;
(b) administer tests, required by the State Board of Education, which measure the progress of each student, and coordinate with the state superintendent and State Board of Education to assess results and create plans to improve the student's progress which shall be submitted to the State Office of Education for approval; …….
I have helped craft legislation to ensure local control.
In 2009 HJR 11 - A resolution on the importance of Local Governance - recognizing that local solutions make best results for local problems.
Local Governance vs. Federal Encroachment - my position on the National School Boards Association's Board of Directors has given me direct opportunity in helping craft these to bills in congress.
Senate - S. 2451 House - HR1386
This web site answers many of the questions people have about where the Common Core came from and what Utah has done with the standards.
http://www.utahpublicschools.org
Here are some questions that were asked of me and my answers.
Do you believe that the core standard should be set at the national or state level?
The federal government should never be involved in setting the states standards. We have had standards in 7 core areas since 1984. They have been developed by the state. In 2010 the State School Board participated in a national consortium of states for a common set of standards in language arts and math. That being said Utah still has full control of all core standard as it should be.
Are you satisfied that the current standard/curriculum is improving student learning?
I am never satisfied with the status quo. In Alpine School District we are about continuous improvement. Whatever the standards (expectations of learning at each grade level) are in Utah, ASD has guiding principles in place that give teachers the tools to create curriculum that will allow all students to learn. Teachers work together collaboratively and teach for understanding. We are seeing amazing growth in student learning.
Do you believe that the current standard will truly prepare students for success at a 4-year university?
We will never be satisfied with the standards set for us by the state. We will always look for ways to reach for higher standards. As an example the state has set graduation rates at 24 credits while in ASD we require 28. Mountain View has achieved 92.2% graduation rate this year. Orem Jr. has become a leader in academic with jr. highs in the district because of a community of teachers and parents working together. Lakeridge has had state and national recognition for their academic gains and learning culture. Everyone of our local schools in the Mountain View cluster area have seen unparalleled growth in student achievement and test scores. Again because of our culture in ASD with professional learning communities and time for collaboration at grade level or department teams, every student can be on a pathway for college or career success.
Are you satisfied with the current ASD math curriculum?
Because we are about continuous improvement and local autonomy in ASD our math specialist revised the current math standards to allow a third pathway for students, again going beyond the current state standards. However, there is no silver bullet for teaching math. Every child learns differently but all children can learn. Good teachers use many different math components to ensure a student learns and understands. We are seeing improved math data over the last few years including all of our jr, high and middle schools scoring above 90% in CRT scores. As your school board member I will continue to ensure that we have all the professional development and time necessary for teachers working with parents in guiding students to understanding math at the students highest level.
Are you satisfied that the current SAGE test implementation is the best available way to gauge if a student has learned the skill?
No. It is only one way to gauge student learning. ASD teachers have many different ways that they assess where the student is throughout the year. We can not leave it to one test at the end of the year. One of the best assessment that can take place is when teachers and parents meet together with the students at parent teacher conference. However, this adaptive assessment will bring a more in depth understanding of student learning then past CTR exams or other national norm tests. Teachers will be able to identify at an even deeper level each individual students understanding of the concepts. All of these different tools help teachers assess students needs and develop their curriculum to teach for student learning.
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