An Exploratory Analysis of North Dakota Teachers' Attitudes Toward and Implementation of the Common Core State Standards: Recommendations for Professional Development Providers

Abstract

Increases in global competition for student achievement have led to drastic changes within the field of education. In recent decades educational reforms such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top have placed a stronger emphasis on standardized testing and increased accountability for schools to promote student achievement with limited success. This has led to a state-initiated overhaul of previous educational standards in favor of a set of more rigorous, internationally benchmarked standards in math and English Language Arts (ELA) known as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Since 2010, adoption of the Common Core State Standards across the United States has left teachers and school districts scrambling to unpack, align, and add the new standards to their existing curricula. The author examined North Dakota teachers’ attitudes and preparedness to teach using the Common Core State Standards providing recommendations for professional development providers.