It is quite possible that your school will now work under the new national standards. More than 30 states have said “yes” to the new common curriculum.

Surprising really, didn’t we all want it to stay local? What has worked is the Race to the Top competition. Those schools that adopt the new syllabus win points to get a cut in the stimulus pie. Which school doesn’t need it?

But there could be a hitch. It is all very well the schools are “racing to adopt”, but do they have funds to put the new standards to effect? Look at it this way. Schools sign up for the new syllabus and find it hard to get it going in the classrooms. At judging time, won’t students lose out because of poor implementation?

Don’t forget, the new plan has detailed expectations on skills achieved at each grade level. Implementation of rules like “fifth graders should be able to add and subtract fractions with different denominators” is bound to take time, especially in schools where the standards have been very low. It involves teacher training, new textbooks and assessment of results. How sincere will the school districts be in carrying out the programme if they are short of funds? What happens if they choose to sit on the syllabus waiting for a windfall miracle to happen? And what about those schools that do not adopt the new syllabus? Won’t they be simply left behind?

But here is the good news. Where it failed in the efforts so far, the new national standard has a chance of winning. [1] The new syllabus was prepared by the states themselves, it is not a top-down imposition. [2] Schools admit that their standards were heavily compromised to escape punishment under the “No child left behind” law. [3] Schools know that a lot of experts have participated in forming the syllabus. [4] People now believe in national standards so that all states have similar access to a certain educational standard. If parents move from Massachusetts to Florida, should the child be happy that classwork is now a breeze? [5] Many cash-strapped state governments do not have to find resources for developing their own standards and tests. [6] Independent examination by institutes like Mr. Finn’s tells us that the core standard is superior to that obtained in 37 states. They feel that even 85% of the new standard should make an upward revision for them.

Yes, the Massachusetts school district is unhappy with the new syllabus. It found the vocabulary level low and the wanted higher Algebra in Grade VIII. But most independent assessments find the two standards “too close to call”. A new curriculum is a must to replace the hodge-podge that goes for syllabus today in many states.

Those states that want it to be higher just have to introduce additional work in Math and English.