Teacher Perceptions of the Common Core Performance Standards

Abstract

The Common Core State Standards were implemented in the state of Georgia in the 2012/2013 school year replacing NCLB. Previous studies indicated that teachers and administrators viewed NCLB negatively, and the purpose of this study was to gauge teachers' perceptions of the new standards after they had been in effect for one and a half years. Findings revealed that while teachers did see some improvements with CCGPS, such as preparing students for college and/or a job and increasing creative and critical thinking skills, they did not feel that CCGPS would improve student achievement or raise standardized test scores. Teacher morale was also not improved by the new standards, primarily due to the increased workload, and negative opinions of standardized testing remained firmly in place. Teachers indicated that while they did see some advances with CCGPS, they did not feel that it represented a significant improvement over NCLB.