Educators on Common Core Standards

As states rolled out the Common Core State Standards, a key question lingered: were teachers truly ready to bring these more rigorous expectations to life in their classrooms? Basis partnered with the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, digging into how prepared teachers felt, what supports they had received, and where gaps remained, particularly in Arkansas’ rural and charter schools. The team looked not just at whether teachers knew about the standards, but at whether they had access to aligned instructional materials, useful professional development, and enough time to collaborate with colleagues to adjust their lessons.

The findings painted a nuanced picture: while many teachers were optimistic about the promise of Common Core, large numbers reported feeling underprepared – especially to teach the standards to English learners, students with disabilities, and other struggling students – and said they lacked sufficient training and high-quality materials. The guidance to states, districts, and curriculum providers on where to focus efforts so that ambitious standards translate into real changes in teaching and learning.