NAPCIS Annotated
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NAPCIS Annotated
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NAPCIS Statement on the Common Core
NAPCIS exists to support schools that have chosen to operate as private entities: with autonomous educational philosophies, standards, pedagogical approaches, and curriculums. These schools exist as institutions faithful to the Catholic Church and faithful to passing on the Catholic faith to the children entrusted to them.
NAPCIS recommends that Catholic faith-based schools not use the Common Core State Standards as the foundation for their educational efforts. As faith-based schools we have a different mission than public schools. Because a school’s mission drives its standards and these standards drive curriculum, we should not simply use the Common Core Standards as our base and then make some adaptations. The Common Core State Standards are explicitly and only “college and career” focused. In stark contrast, our schools are focused on comprehensive human formation and assisting our students to encounter Christ and to pursue truth, beauty and goodness in all subject areas. In the context of this larger mission our students are also better prepared for college and life beyond. NAPCIS believes that our schools must set their own standards animated by their own unique mission. Complementing this mission, our standards will determine the appropriate instructional strategies, curriculum, and assessment for our students, as well as how our schools are evaluated.
With this said, we acknowledge that there is a substantial amount of acceptable secular material in the Common Core State Standards that Catholic faith-based schools can reference as part of their much broader educational efforts. Careful use of these acceptable parts of the Standards for reference, rather than whole scale replacement of our own standards, is a prudent response to the reality of the Common Core State Standards. However, we recommend caution in interfacing with parts of the Common Core State Standards, as the animating philosophies and pedagogies behind them have not yet been fully vetted by research and may not be appropriate for all subjects and all grades. At this early, untested and controversial point in American public schools’ first attempts at nationalized standards, we believe Catholic faith-based schools should use their own standards to ensure proven academic excellence and fidelity to mission.
Cardinal Newman Society’s Catholic Curriculum Standards and Resources for Educators
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Catholic School Curriculum Standards, A Note from the Project Leads, Dan Guernsey and Denise Donohue
Pioneer Institute’s Common Core Study
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After the Fall: Catholic Education Beyond the Common Core by Anthony Esolen, Dan Guernsey, Jane Robbins, and Kevin Ryan Preface by Raymond L. Flynn and Mary Ann Glendon (Pioneer Institute, October 12, 2016)
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Podcast, Dan Guernsey, Advice to Parents Worried About Common Core: ‘Get Actively Involved’
NAPCIS Conference Presentations
11/5/2013
- Coalition for Excellence in Catholic Education Statement to the US Bishops
- Common Core Questions for Catholic Schools – by Dr. Christopher Tienken
- Validation Committee and ELA Problems Paper by Dr. Sandra Stotsky
- The Naked and Procrustean Common Core by Dr. Dan Guernsey
- Common Core and Testing by Denise Donohue
Other Links
*These links are being provided for informational purposes only. They do not constitute endorsement or approval by NAPCIS.*
Links in Support of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
- CCSS Official Website
- NCEA Position Statement in Support CCSS Catholic Common Core Identity Initiative
- CCSS and Catholic Schools: Rationale from the Superintendents of Illinois
Links Against the Common Core
Or just search “against the Common Core” with your state’s name and you should get plenty of interesting content.
- Catholic is Our Core: Cardinal Newman Society
- Pittsburgh Catholics against the Core
- Statement from the Diocese of Denver
- Statement from the Diocese of Lansing
- Diocese of Green Bay- Bishop says no to Common Core
- Diocese of Gaylord Common Core FAQ
- Diocese of Gaylord Common Core Letter to Parents
- Statement from the Diocese of Superior
- Statement from the Diocese of Pittsburgh
- We Will Not Conform – Common Core Action Plan
Adapting the CCSS: Resources and Research
NAPCIS will attempt to identify specific curriculum oriented and research based links to assist schools to determine where possible deficiencies exist in the Standards so that they may make provisions or adaptations.
- Common Core and Catholic Schools -A Statement by the Coalition for Catholic Excellence to the US Bishops
- Statement on the Common Core from the USCCB
- Statements from Various Dioceses in the US
- Iowa Testing and Common Core
Iowa Tests can provide a safe haven for Catholic schools who want to escape CCSS testing - Putting Students on the Path to Learning
- Research shows traditional direct instruction as opposed to CCSS constuctivism works better in elementary schools.
- Superior Catholic Schools Already Exceed Common Core Standards
- More Rigorous Standards Do Not Correlate with Student Achievement
- Common Core hopes to raise public school NAEP test scores- but Catholic Schools are already at the top of the NAEP. Why should WE change?
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10 Minimal Adaptations Catholic Schools Should Consider Making to the Common Core State Standards
- How Do the Common Core Standards Affect Catholic Schools?
- CCSS Concerns ELA Instructional Approach and the Pursuit of Truth, by Dr. Denise Donohue
- CCSS Concerns Research Base and Academic Excellence, by Dr. Denise Donohue
Math Standards
- Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Series of articles discussing the Math Standards point by point through traditional and progressive lenses - Common Core’s Cloudy Vision of College Readiness in Math (by Sandra Stotsky)
- Suggests Common Core Math is not aligned to college readiness
James Milgram Stanford Professor and Mathematician who resigned from the Common Core Validation Committee. - A Discussion of the Issues With the Common Core Mathematics Standards. Dr. R. James Milgram. March 24, 2015.
- A New Kind of Problem: The Common Core Math Standards and Grammar School Success
- Testimony Before the Texas Legislature
The High School Math Standards are poor according to Stanford’s James Milgram - Comparison of the Common Core and 2004 Georgia Math Standards
- US Coalition for World Class Math March Statement on the Core
- US Coalition for World Class Math June Follow-up Statement on the Core
English Language Arts Standards
- Testimony on the ELA Standards Before the Missouri Legislature
Sandra Stotsky professor at University of Arkansas who resigned from the National Common Core Validation Committee - Shorter Version of Dr. Stotsky’s Concerns about the ELA Standards
- A More Extensive White Paper from Pioneer Institute on the ELA standards
- Concerns Related to Grades K-3 from the Alliance for Childhood
- CCSS Informational Text arguments not research based
- Former President of the National Counsel of Teachers of English states ELA standards are off
- How to Improve Common Core: A Critic’s View
- Comparison of the Common Core and 2008 Georgia English Language Arts Standards