Common Core added an important piece to the mounting evidence that curriculum continues to narrow at the expense of vital academic subjects with yesterday’s release of survey data from 1,001 third through 12th-grade teachers. Fully two-thirds of those surveyed agreed that extra attention to math and language arts is crowding out other subjects, with the sentiment particularly strong among elementary-school teachers. Of those who saw the curriculum narrowing, 93 percent pointed to state tests as the primary culprits.
Focusing on math and reading at the expense of subjects like science and social studies requires serious scrutiny, and Common Core should be applauded for bringing more attention to the issue. Critics of test-based accountability will be quick to cite the survey as evidence of the deleterious effects of testing, but the numbers tell a more complicated story. 90 percent of teachers said that inclusion in state testing results in a subject being taken more seriously. Of those who reported crowding out, 60 percent said that the increased focus on math and language arts boosted test scores and 46 percent agreed that it resulted in improved skills and knowledge. Is the problem testing itself, or that test-based accountability is so narrowly focused in most states?
