Iowa Core Myths vs. Facts

Myth vs. Fact
A note from the AEA Communications Directors

·      Myth: The federal government developed the Common Core State Standards.

-       FACT: The federal government did not play a role in developing the Common Core. For years, states independently developed their own standards. Over time, state leaders recognized that many students were graduating from high school unprepared for the demands of college and careers.

In 2007, state education leaders began discussing the idea of working together to develop a set of rigorous academic expectations for English/language arts and math to ensure all students finish high school prepared for the next step. In 2009, governors and state education chiefs from 48 states engaged in a bipartisan collaboration toward this goal. The states worked with teachers, parents, content experts and others to develop and release the Common Core. Forty-five states, the District of Columbia and four territories have adopted the Common Core State Standards.

·      Myth:  The Iowa State Board of Education did not have the authority to adopt the Common Core as part of the Iowa Core.

-       FACT: Iowa, through authority vested in the State Board of Education by the Iowa Legislature, adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2010 and blended them with our state standards. State board authority is provided by Iowa Code Chapter 256.7(26).

·      Myth: Iowa is receiving federal funding to implement the Common Core.

-       FACT: Iowa receives no federal money to implement the Common Core as part of the Iowa Core. The Iowa Department of Education has a $2 million state appropriation for fiscal year 2014 to support the work of Iowa Core implementation.

·      Myth:  Iowa has adopted a federal curriculum.

-       FACT: The Common Core State Standards set common, rigorous expectations for what students should know and be able to do, but leave decisions about teaching and lesson plans up to local schools and teachers.

·      Myth: Implementing the standards requires states to collect and share vast amounts of personally identifiable student information.

-       FACT: Implementing the standards does not require data collection. The Iowa Department of Education collects student data and information to learn how schools in Iowa are changing, to follow the academic progress of students from preschool to high school, and to guide efforts to improve our education system. Data help teachers and parents gauge whether students are on track from year to year and whether they graduate ready for success in college and careers. This information is used to detect and report shifts in student populations and demographics and student achievement results, such as high school graduation rates, attendance rates, and state assessment scores. Under No Child Left Behind and other federal laws, data, such as test scores, are provided to the federal government. Students are never identified by name.

·      Myth: The Common Core prevents teachers from teaching literature.

-       FACT: The standards do not limit reading to non-fiction, but strike a balance between literature and non-fiction so students build knowledge and broaden their perspectives.