New Ed. Standards Stress Public Speaking, Probability

By Bianca Vázquez Toness
Jul 22, 2010, 8:03 AM
2 Comments

BOSTON — Massachusetts school districts have two years to align their curricula with new national standards adopted Wednesday on an 8-0 vote by the state Board of Primary and Secondary Education.

The new standards for English demand more writing and public speaking of students in the hopes they learn to craft a persuasive argument.

Elise Frangos, director of English for the education agency Mass Insight, says the national guidelines — called the Common Core — better prepare kids for college and a career.

“They’ll be keenly aware,” Frangos said, “and they’ll learn how to craft counter-arguments successfully.”

The new math guidelines demand more conceptual thinking and add probability and statistics to the skills students need to master.

Critics say that’s a slower approach that does not completely prepare students for algebra.

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bill roger

and i hope they teach them to complete a sentence without saying um, five times!!!!!
http://WBUR Sara Weiss

I think it is important for children to learn how to problem solve. Most of us are faced with issues on a daily basis and I think those critical thinking skills are necessary for one to navigate the system. By using math to solve problems and english to argue certain key points with substantiating back up will help give our children an edge as they move into the adult world.