Common Core Will Save Not Cost Billions

Common Core State Standards lift expectations and create opportunity to compare results and share tools—a terrific set of benefits that America will reap for years.
Fordham released a report today on the Cost of Implementing the Common Core.  They concluded that states could save about $1 billion if they take full advantage of digital assessments and materials.
In her coverage, Catherine Gewertz of EdWeek, feels obligated to give airtime to the boneheaded Pioneer report that claims the Common Core will cost billions.  They suggest that the cost of shifting from print to digital should be allocated to the cost of adopting the Common Core—an illogical position.  The two happen to be roughly coincident, but the shift to digital can and will produce its own ROI—the benefits of the Common Core just makes it all the more attractive to make the shift over the next 36 months.
Like iPhone, the Common Core is a platform for innovation.  Like iPhone apps, new content and tools will be built and shared on this powerful platform.  The Common Core will result in better content and tools, will save districts and states millions, and most importantly create clear college and career ready expectations for American students.

Tom Vander Ark

Tom Vander Ark is the CEO of Getting Smart. He has written or co-authored more than 50 books and papers including Getting Smart, Smart Cities, Smart Parents, Better Together, The Power of Place and Difference Making. He served as a public school superintendent and the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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1 Comment

Paul leather
6/3/2012

Thank you for this, Tom. For those of us continuing to fight to keep the CCSS and then to go further, your argument is powerful and useful in the on-going debate. We get the same claims regarding competency education and personalization. You logic holds true for these advances as well... Paul

Replies

Tom Vander Ark
6/4/2012

The biggest benefit is consistently high college/career ready expectations for all kids. The second benefit will be the rapid improvement in sharable content and tools--and more of it will be free and open

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