A senior at Minot High School says students need to be challenged to do better – and most welcome that opportunity.
Chloe Rickards transferred to Minot High after her father was assigned to the Minot Air Force Base. She came from Montgomery, Alabama. Rickards told the interim Education Funding Committee that when she was in Montgomery, she attended an academic magnet school – with what she termed as very high standards and an expectation for success.
"When I moved to North Dakota, I found the difference in educational standards to be drastic," Rickards told the committee. "While I did become integrated into AP (advanced placement) and college preparatory classes, I fiund the overall standards to be lower than in my old school."
Rickards says North Dakota is moving in the right direction with the adoption of the new “Common Core” standards in math and English.
"I endorse Common Core as a helpful tool for uniting the nation in high standards," said Rickards. "In order to prepare students for future success, they must be held to certain measures."
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler says there’s been some misunderstanding about “Common Core” standards for math and English. Baesler says some opponents of Common Core have been spreading a lot of rumors and mis-information about the new standards, which took effect this school year.
Opponents have claimed the standards amount to a federal takeover of local education. And they’re concerned that some textbooks and materials may be forced on local schools – even though parents might object. But Baesler told the committee – in North Dakota, there is still local control.
"It is absolutely up to the responsibility of your administrations and school boards to insure, like they've always done, that the material in a curriculum or resource is what their students need, is rigorous, and that it aligns to the norms, values and the expectations of the local community," Baesler told the committee.
Baesler says the new standards were adopted – because of concern that high school students would not be ready for college or work – and would need to take remedial courses at the colleges. She says business and industry have helped drive this.
The Common Core standards took effect this school year.