Assignment:
Scenario
Your state is considering a required set of education standards that all schools must adopt. You have been nominated to serve on the statewide committee to inform the legislature as to which standards, if any, should be adopted. You will have the opportunity to take a stand on the following issue. Does a set of required standards improve or limit education for ALL students (e.g., general education students, special education, English language learners, gifted learners) in state schools?
Consider the following questions: How can standards be implemented to improve the quality of education for ALL students in all levels and types of classroom (e.g., general education, special education, vocational)? Is it more effective to adopt district standards, state-specific standards, or national standards? Once you decide which standards to adopt, what materials, supports and training will be needed to implement them? How do different stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, government leaders, principals, teachers with various specialties and points of view, students, parents) feel about the issue of standards adoption and implementation?
Stakeholders
The State Department of Education, school administrators, teachers, students, parents, educational specialists, politicians, business leaders, employers, advocacy groups, and the community at large.
Document Set
• Document 1: A simulated editorial from a school administrator detailing concerns and issues with implementation of the Common Core State Standards
• Document 2: A simulated magazine article that illustrates some the issues regarding a set of uniform standards and expectations for English Language Learners
• Document 3: A simulated blog post with relevant comments about the concern that a common set of standards might exclude such disciplines as art and music.
• Document 4: Simulated blog posts about the Common Core State Standards and special education
NOTES: Common Core is arguably one of the most pressing and controversial issues in K-12 education. The goal of this case study is to have students consider the various stakeholders involved, and take a position on both the broad issue of standards-based education and one or more subtopics that fall under this umbrella
For this Discussion, assume the role of one of the stakeholders in the case study. Consider the information in Document Set 2 for your selected case study and in any new articles you have located from this stakeholder's point of view. What new information is relevant and what is not? Is the information provided by reliable sources? Does this new information affect your perspective on the issue? If so, how?
Note: While stakeholder roles are suggested in the case study, you are free to create a role that relates to your professional experience and interests. In your post, be sure to identify the role you are assuming.
Post the stakeholder role you are assuming. Then, post an explanation of how you, in the particular role you are assuming, might respond to the new information in the articles you found and in Document Set 2 for your case study. In your explanation, be sure to:
· Evaluate whether the new information is based on reliable sources and whether the information is relevant to the issue.
· Explain your position on the case study issue from the perspective of the role you are assuming and how this new information informs this position.
· Explain the steps you might take to follow-up on this information based on your role and your position on the issue.
Throughout the Discussion, add support for your position or add to the knowledge base on the issue by finding and sharing additional resources related to the issue you are discussing. These should include scholarly resources but may include other resources such as news articles, blogs, RSS feeds, etc. Share links to the resources you identify.