Survey Shows NC Teachers Favor Slowing Down Common Core Implementation

A new survey suggests that North Carolina teachers are leery of the implementation of Common Core standards, with nearly two-thirds favoring slowing down or halting the process.

Lately we’ve been hearing much about people’s opinions on Common Core standards being implemented in the public schools. A recent national poll suggested that most Americans don’t know about Common Core standards and those that do, don’t understand it.[1] Teachers’ opinions have been notably absent from these discussions. We haven’t heard much about what teachers think about Common Core in North Carolina, possibly because they have been too busy or don’t want to voice an opinion.

To find out what teachers think about Common Core standards, we conducted an informal, unscientific online survey. We solicited the opinions of teachers on nine questions. The email survey was distributed in the latter half of May and early June through the Classroom Teachers Association of North Carolina. Surveys went to about 45,000 public school teachers across North Carolina. We received responses from 1,713 teachers in 71 different LEAs.

What did we find?

Teachers are conflicted about Common Core, the survey suggests. They in general like the idea, but have qualms about how it is being implemented. Survey highlights include:

Slow Down or Halt CC Standards? 62 percent of teacher respondents favor proposals to slow down or halt the implementation of Common Core Standards; 38 percent oppose proposals to do so.

Preparation. About 55 percent of respondents rated their school’s preparation for Common Core Standards as “average, weak or poor.”

Overall Support for CC. About 65 percent of respondents approve of the decision to implement Common Core Standards in North Carolina public schools; 35 percent do not.

Books Aligned to CC Standards. Almost 60 percent of teachers thought textbooks and educational resources are not aligned to CC standards, while only 28 percent believe their materials do align to CC standards.

Improve Student Achievement? Less than half of all respondents expressed confidence that Common Core Standards would help to improve student achievement.

The survey is rather informative, once you drill down into the results. Though teachers generally seem supportive of the idea of Common Core, they have significant reservations about the impacts and how standards are implemented. The strong support (60-plus percent) among teacher respondents for proposals to slow down or halt the implementation of Common Core deserves the attention of legislators and superintendents. Survey results also raise the question: Is it prudent to move forward when those working with students in the classroom have so little confidence in how the standards are being implemented?

[1]Highlights of the 2013 PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. Findings available at:  http://pdkintl.org/programs-resources/poll/

Questions

 

 

Response	Raw number of responses	Percent responses
Approve	1075	62.7%
Disapprove	583	34.0%
No response	55	3.3%

Response	Raw number of responses	Percent responses
Excellent	188	10.9%
Above average	557	32.5%
Average	642	37.4%
Weak	192	11.2%
Poor	72	4.2%
No response	62	3.6%

 

 

Response	Raw number of responses	Percent responses
No	952	55.6%
Yes	474	27.7%
Don’t know	219	12.8%
Did not respond	68	3.9%

 

Response	Raw number of responses	Percent responses
Very confident	114	6.8%
Confident	647	37.8%
Less than confident	580	33.8%
Little confidence	301	17.5%
Did not respond	71	4.1%

 

Response	Raw number of responses	Percent responses
More emphasis on testing	846	49.3%
Same emphasis on testing	456	26.6%
Less emphasis on testing	126	7.4%
Not sure	210	12.3%
No response	75	4.4%

 

Response	Raw number of responses	Percent responses
Very satisfied	143	8.3%
Fairly satisfied	437	25.6%
Somewhat satisfied	527	30.7%
Not satisfied	530	30.9%
Did not respond	76	4.4%

 

 

Response	Raw number of responses	Percent responses
Strongly favor	439	25.6%
Favor	580	33.8%
Oppose	495	28.9%
Strongly oppose	117	6.8%
Did not respond	82	4.8%