PD Editorial: Report card

<p>California has high standards for public education. Too frequently, however, student achievement is subpar.</p><p>That's one big reason why the state Board of Education should adopt new national guidelines for English and math.</p><p>The framework wasn't crafted by bureaucrats in Washington. It's the work of educators from 48 states, including California, and focuses on critical skills that aren't consistently developed in Golden State classrooms.</p><p>Kathy Harris, a Santa Rosa teacher who serves on a state commission that reviewed the Common Core Standards, told the San Jose Mercury News that California's current standards “seem to be a mile wide and an inch deep.”</p><p>We couldn't have said it better.</p><p>For an example, look no further than Staff Writer Kerry Benefield's July 20 report that nearly half of the incoming freshmen at California State University campuses last year were unqualified to take entry-level college English. “Their ability to read critically — expository reading — most English teachers weren't teaching it,” said Allison Jones, the assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs at CSU.</p><p>Expository reading and writing aren't only necessary for college. Those skills are prerequisites for success in the workplace, too.</p><p>CSU has embarked on an $8 million a year program to educate high school teachers about expository reading and other skills required for success in college. The Common Core Standards also call for a greater emphasis on nonfiction and technical writing skills that can be developed in classes such as science and history so they don't come at the expense of teaching literature in English classes.</p><p>Much of the debate in California focuses on a provision of the core standards that says Algebra I should be taught in ninth grade. California's standards place it in eighth grade. But barely a quarter of eighth graders are rated proficient or above, which raises the question of whether they were ready in the first place.</p><p>The national standards would allow an apples-to-apples comparison of student achievement across the country. Twenty-seven states already have adopted the core standards, and California's review commission recommended approval with a few adjustments. Also in favor are the governor and state schools chief Jack O'Connell, who says the standards will result in long-term savings on teacher training and text books.</p><p>The state Board of Education takes up the issue on Monday, and the standards should be incorporated into California's public school curriculum.</p>