The only thing constant in Indiana’s educational system lately has been uncertainty.
For many years, Indiana had its own educational standards. Then, under the leadership of Gov. Mitch Daniels and former Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, the Hoosier state joined many others in adopting the Common Core State Standards in 2010.
Since then, the Common Core standards have come under fire. Opponents said the standards weren’t good enough and represented an unacceptable overreach by the federal government.
To stray away from the bad image Common Core was handed, Indiana this year became the first state to withdraw from Common Core. Gov. Mike Pence called for new standards written “by Hoosiers for Hoosiers,” which is precisely what we had before 2010.
Now, new standards have come about.
And they were unveiled to mixed reviews.
Opponents say the rules resemble the Common Core standards too much. Proponents say the new standards are appropriate to measure college and career readiness. Pence promises they’ll be the toughest in the nation; others aren’t buying it.
The new standards were created using four sets of mathematics standards and three sets of English/language arts benchmarks, including past Indiana standards, Common Core and other national rules. The governor noted, “These new standards ... improved upon prior Indiana standards.”
On Monday, the Indiana State Board of Education is set to vote on the proposed standards. They’ve already been endorsed by the Indiana Education Roundtable. If they are approved, they’ll be implemented in the fall.
It’s safe to say, if the new standards pass the state board, local educators have their work cut out for them over the next several months. That’s because local school districts use the standards to write curriculum, or what is taught in the classrooms. Lesson plans aligning to the standards are critical because, beginning in the spring of 2016, students will take assessments based on the new standards.
It’s a rough road ahead. Writing new curriculum and getting teachers prepared to teach will be a tough job — and one that must be completed before August.
We hold out hope the new standards will improve our educational system, prepare our students for college and careers and give our state the edge it needs in the coming decades. But, to accomplish that, we must end the uncertainty and align our educational system with stability and readiness.