Common Core Standards: More Than a Meme

Schimmel/Conrades Science Center Atrium

Through my poster, I will address the misconceptions surrounding public perception of the Common Core State Standards. I will do this by sharing a variety of memes that illustrate these misconceptions, and then align them with research and theory. In these memes, we will see references to mathematics and literacy content areas, as well as parent and teacher’s attitudes towards the Common Core. In order to address these misconceptions, I will share (1) the meme itself, (2) the central message of each meme, and (3) what research shows as the reality and why that message is misleading. One specific example says, “You know you’re a teacher if… The words ‘Common Core’ send shivers down your spine.” The central message of this meme is generalizing all teachers’ perspective of the Common Core to be negative. Research does not support this. According to Matlock, et al. (2016), data collected from a random sample of over a thousand teachers across the United States show that overall they hold “positive to very positive views” (301). There are some limitations to the Common Core State Standards, such as lack of teacher professional development, and these shortcomings will be acknowledged in the session. However, the primary focus will be directed at presenting the facts and realities that counter popular misrepresentations. The resources I will use to provide researched-based information about the Common Core during the session include Pense, Freeburg, and Clemons (2015); Camera (2014), Matlock, et al. (2016); and the standards themselves. References Camera, L. (2014). Polls capture public’s sour view of Common Core State Standards. Education Week, 34(2), 7. Matlock, K. L., Goering, C. Z., Endacott, J., Collet, V. S., Denny, G. S., Jennings-Davis, J., & Wright, G. P. (2016). Teachers’ views of the Common Core State Standards. Educational Review, 68(3), 291-305. Pense, S. L., Freeburg, B. W., & Clemons, C. A. (2015). Implementation of Common Core State Standards: voices, positions, and frames. Career & Technical Education Research 40(3), 157-173.