Current seniors can probably remember the days of trying the new Common Core reform. The computerized testing that was held last year was only a pilot to see how well students would perform with this new movement. This year, however, is the first year that the program has been implemented into the entire curriculum. For teachers and students alike, there have been struggles with transitioning to this new program.

The Common Core initiative has replaced the No Child Left Behind Act by offering a different way of testing how much students have learned. Andrew Walter, Math Department chair, agrees that in the long run this reform will benefit students because it teaches them to analyze and explain their reasoning. But he added the transition has been difficult for teachers. “The problem is that there was no real support given to the teachers,” he said. “We were just given access to the material one day with no real training.”

Because of this, Walter said teachers must also learn to teach this new program. To help them, the school gave all teachers within the Math Department the same preparation period to plan. “It’s nice because now we’re meeting every other week instead of once a month,” Walter said.

English teachers also share a prep period, which they use to their advantage to look at data from classes. Victoria Marinelli, sophomore English teacher, said it’s a little frustrating because, since the focus on teaching analytical skills has increased, the amount of reading literature has decreased. “But I still like the standards because they’re moving more towards skill-based learning rather than knowledge-based learning,” she said.

Because of this new approach to teaching and testing, some students have noticed that it’s harder to receive a higher grade. Perla Gonzalez, a sophomore, said she hears quite a few students complaining about failing their classes because of Common Core, but she also believes that it will help them. “People make it harder than it really is. It’s time consuming, but you learn to explain things better.” Other students agree. “The questions are a lot harder,” junior Jose Mejia said. “But in the end you learn more. You learn to explain your reasoning.”

It is the problem of failing students, who may normally not fail, that Walter is trying to tackle. “We don’t want to just give them F’s because of Common Core. They’re still getting used to it. But at the same time, we don’t just want to hand out grades.” He said that although students may see a bad grade on the regular A through F scale, they really are learning more because of this new initiative.

Although this transition isn’t easy, many students and faculty agree that it will be beneficial in the long run. When, exactly, is the question. There are estimates that this program will be normal within four to five years, the reason being because, as previously mentioned, teachers must first be comfortable teaching this new style before they can effectively teach the students.

Departments are currently working on how to affect students primarily at Stagg. Last semester was filled with pure Common Core standards that was provided from the district, but teachers are now aiming to alter it to see what helps students here the most.

“In theory it’s really good,” Walter said. “It’s just learning a different style. It’s like driving a car for 15 years and then tomorrow getting into a hovercraft — same concept but different style. It’s really taking us to the air now.”