State Preps to Begin Common Core Adoption

Kevin Huffman is Tennessee’s education commissioner.

State education officials are preparing to implement the next big phase of reforms. The Common Core standards that will be used in every classroom by 2014.

The national movement has hit resistance with some who believe curriculum should remain tailored for each state. Common Core identifies essential lessons in math and language arts to be taught everywhere.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman says the idea is to focus on skills that have a big payoff, like fractions.

“And then in the meanwhile, to eliminate a bunch of the things that we don’t think are necessary. Some of the things that get taught are taught because they’re on the standards list and subject to assessment.”

Huffman says adoption of Common Core will require cutting some questions out of the state’s standardized tests.

Third through 8th grade math classes will be the first go entirely to Common Core. Huffman warns the lessons will be more narrow but potentially more difficult.

“It will represent a shift in what gets taught in classrooms.”

Math classes in grades three through eight will be the first adopt the standards. Teachers will train over the summer.

The national standards were adopted as part of Tennessee’s application to win half a billion dollars in the federal Race to the Top program.