Common Core And Standards-Based Teaching

Teachers are at the core of every classroom. It is our job, our duty, to provide a top-quality education to the students in our care. This duty is to include students of all colors, abilities, backgrounds, and ethnicities. Each one is entitled to receive the same quality and effort by us. As teachers, we lesson plan, teach, re-lesson plan, and reteach. This process is never ending and quite tedious, but necessary. On top of educating students, we also carry both a legal and ethical responsibility in education. These responsibilities and commitments are to our students, our colleagues, and ourselves. The Code of Ethics, drafted by the National Education Association, provides a guide for teachers in these commitments. One particular commitment,

Common Core and standards-based teaching and learning are ways to ensure the on-track and level progression of students. States implementing Common Core are teaching students of the same grade level, the same material. Across the US, first graders are following a similar curriculum map! This is a powerful tool for teacher and student alike. Although Common Core and standards-based teaching and learning pushes students academically, I am able to recognize it is in their best interest! We can do hard things! In the NEA’s code of ethics, we

Students with disability, in accordance with the federal law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), are required to receive an Individual Education Program, or IEP. This program is collaboration between parents, the general education teacher, and the special education coordinator. In short, an IEP must contain modifications and accommodations, goals, support services provided, and a system of measurement for goals (Stanberry, 2014). In a traditional IEP, goals sometimes are met, but students still do not reach grade level. With standards-based teaching and learning, a different approach to the IEP is taken. A student’s progression is determined, along with how they’re expected to progressing at that current time within grade. Both of these factors are taken into account, and goals are formulated to close the gap. Although these students are usually performing below grade level, they are still exposed to grade-level material, and progression through the years is still made (Stanberry, 2014). Additionally, IDEA also protects students from discrimination. IDEA is considered to be the United States’ special education law. It offers protection to students with disabilities and their parents, by offering a free and appropriate education (FAPE) to all students (Lee, 2014). Under IDEA, parents are given the right to participate in their