There has been an “historic” dip in nationwide reading and math scores since the adoption of Common Core curriculum in schools, according to a new study.
While Common Core was promoted as improving the international competitiveness of U.S. students in math, the country’s international standing has remained low, while the skills of average and lower-performing students have dropped in both math and reading, a study published by the Pioneer Institute reported.
“Nearly a decade after states adopted Common Core, the empirical evidence makes it clear that these national standards have yielded underwhelming results for students,” Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios said in a statement published with the report. “The proponents of this expensive, legally questionable policy initiative have much to answer for.”
The survey found that since 2013, fourth-grade reading scores have been falling by less than half of a point each year, while eighth-grade scores have dropped by nearly a full point a year.
“It’s time for federal law to change to allow states as well as local school districts to try a broader range of approaches to reform,” Theodor Rebarber, author of The Common Core Debacle, said. “With a more bottom-up approach, more school systems will have the opportunity to choose curricula consistent with our international competitors and many decades of research on effective classroom teaching.”
