Core standards implemented early in F.S. district

A new state-mandated curriculum is being implemented early in the Franklin Square Union Free School District.

The new curriculum, called the Common Core State Standards, is a byproduct of President Obama’s Race to the Top — a program that enticed states to enact educational reforms by promising funds to the states that made the most successful changes.

The CCSS curriculum was first announced by the state at the end of the 2010-11 school year and implementation is required to begin by the 2012-13 school year, in time for next year’s state-administered math and English Language Arts exams for grades three through eight. According to the Franklin Square district, the curriculum’s implementation will take place gradually over the next few years, and will be fully installed in about three.

The Core standards are different from most states’ current curriculum in one major way — emphasizing depth over breadth.“We think that there is a value to this way of teaching,” said Patrick Manley, the Franklin Square district’s superintendent. “It’s more focused instruction on deeper, richer content, so there’s a more full understanding for students.”

Forty-four states have adopted the CCSS curriculum, and two more have done so unofficially, bringing the U.S. closer than ever to reaching national education standards. Part of a three-fold change in education spurred by the Race to the Top, Core standards are joined by new assessments developed to test students, and teacher evaluations based on how well students do on those tests — an education-reform “triangle” known as the Regents Reform Agenda.

On Nov. 2, at a Franklin Square district Board of Education meeting, Julie Soffientini, the district’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, explained the CCSS curriculum to district residents and answered questions. “I think this will be a wonderful thing,” Soffientini said about the curriculum. She added that the district has already introduced the new curriculum to third- through sixth-grade students, in order to better prepare them for next year’s math and ELA tests and high school math courses.

While the majority of residents at the meeting were in favor of the curriculum changes, some parents expressed concerns.

“As a parent, I’m worried that the state is telling our teachers how to teach our students,” said Blanca Durns, a district resident and parent. Durns added that her daughter is comfortable with the current curriculum, and expressed concern that the new curriculum might confuse her and complicate math lessons for her.

Another resident asked what would happen if a student was unable to learn a lesson taught using the new standards.

Soffientini explained that the new curriculum isn’t intended to limit lessons in any way, but to give teachers more strategies than they once had in order to help students who learn differently. "People have to give something time," she added, "and we have to abide by New York State law."

Thomas Riccobono, principal of the Polk Street School, attended last week’s meeting. “We think this will lead to greater success at the high school level,” he said regarding CCSS.

Regarding the new assessments developed to test students and teachers’ evaluations, Manley said, “I believe we should have rigorous standards for our students, and I believe we should have meaningful teacher evaluations that generate deep discussion about highly effective instruction. I don’t believe the proposed reform agenda is the most effective method of achieving these goals.”

Manley explained that the Franklin Square district believes its evaluation system is successful without being tied to student performance. “Long Island school districts, in general, perform well,” he said. “We don’t have an epidemic of ineffective teachers among us. Therefore, as an educator and a parent, I don’t believe it was necessary to add undue stress on our children by tying teacher evaluations to their test scores.”

However, the new student assessments and teachers evaluations are part of the new state mandates, and are required to be implemented by the 2012-13 school year.