The Education Gadfly

THE OHIO EDUCATION GADFLY: SPECIAL EDITION

A Bi-Weekly Bulletin of News and Analysis from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Volume 4, Number 17. July 21, 2010

Common Core standards best most states' standards, including Ohio's

Last month, Ohio became one of the first states to adopt the Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts (ELA). According to a new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, that was a smart move.

The State of State Standards -- and the Common Core -- in 2010, our latest review of each state's academic standards (and how they rate next to the Common Core standards), finds that the ELA and math standards produced by the Common Core State Standards Initiative are clearer and more rigorous than those in place in three-quarters of states. Nationwide, Common Core standards are stronger than ELA standards in 37 states and stronger than existing math standards in 39 states.

Ohio's previous ELA standards received a "C" from content-expert reviewers; its math standards also received a "C." Common Core standards earned a "B+" and an "A-" in ELA and math, respectively. While three states -- California, Indiana, and the District of Columbia -- have ELA standards that are clearly superior to those of the Common Core and nearly a dozen have ELA or math standards in the same league as Common Core, Ohio's standards in both subjects were rated unambiguously "inferior to the Common Core" by expert reviewers.

In short, educators and policymakers in Ohio here can be certain that adopting Common Core standards was an unequivocally positive move for Buckeye State students.

Want more?

For an Ohio-based perspective on how Common Core standards are an upgrade for the state, see this joint analysis by the Fordham Ohio team and former state board of education member Colleen Grady.
To learn more about what Common Core standards mean for the Buckeye State moving forward -- in terms of implementation, assessment, and accountability -- go here.
And be sure to check out Fordham's catch-all Common Core resource page, which features an interactive map tracking which states sign on, as well as ongoing research and commentary on the standards.

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About Us

The Ohio Education Gadfly is published bi-weekly (ordinarily on Wednesdays, with occasional breaks, and in special editions) by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Have something to say? Email the editor at [email protected]. Would you like to be spared from the Gadfly? Email [email protected] with "unsubscribe gadfly" in the text of your message. You are welcome to forward the Gadfly to others, and from our website you can even email individual articles. If you have been forwarded a copy of Gadfly and would like to subscribe, you may email [email protected] with "subscribe gadfly" in the text of the message. To read archived issues, go to our website and click on the Ohio Education Gadfly link. Aching for still more education news and analysis? Check out the original Education Gadfly.

Nationally and in Ohio, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, along with its sister organization the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, strives to close America's vexing achievement gaps by raising standards, strengthening accountability, and expanding high-quality education options for parents and families. As a charter-school sponsor in Ohio, the Foundation joins with schools to affirm a relentless commitment to high expectations for all children, accountability for academic results, and transparency and organizational integrity, while freeing the schools to operate with minimal red tape. The Foundation and Institute are neither connected with nor sponsored by Fordham University.