A group of minority, middle- and low-income parents met in Star City early in June. The subject was Common Core.  Most of the parents knew very little about it. Schools throughout the state have done a poor job of communicating with parents on the new standards and what they mean for their children. The Arkansas Public Policy Panel and AACF met with these parents who were so eager to have more information on Common Core.

AACF has developed a series of materials on Common Core. These include our new infographic that lays out some to the basics for parents:

• 42 states have adopted the Common Core Standards.
• Before Common Core, students in states with lower standards weren’t competitive academically with students in states with higher standards.
• Almost half of Arkansas students aren’t ready for college work when they graduate from high school. They need remedial college courses.

In a closing segment of the Star City meeting, parents were quizzed about their thoughts on what they had just heard.  They were asked “Why do we need Common Core?” After an hour of presentation and discussion, one parent boiled it down. “Our kids don’t know what they need to know when they finish high school.”