The standards don’t allow enough flexibility for students who learn differently<\/p>\n
KATHARINE BEALS<\/a> In a recent discussion board thread on reading comprehension challenges in autism, a special-education teacher commented that her students can\u2019t understand the assigned reading passages. \u201cWhen I complained, I was told that I could add extra support, but not actually change the passages,\u201d she wrote. \u201cIt is truly sad to see my students\u2019 frustration.\u201d<\/p>\n Why must this teacher\u2019s students contend with passages that are too complex for them to understand? She attributes this inflexibility to the\u00a0Common Core<\/a>, new standards\u2014 created in 2009<\/a>\u00a0by a group of education professionals, none of them K-12 classroom teachers or special-education experts\u2014that have been adopted by\u00a045 states<\/a>. Though most Common Core goals are abstract and schematic, collectively they constitute a one-size fits-all approach that, in practice, has severely straightjacketed America\u2019s special-needs students.<\/p>\n
\nFeb 21 2014, 7:46 AM ET<\/p>\n