A parent’s worst nightmare? Having to help kids with Common Core homework

As you may know, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what K–12 students throughout the United States should know in English, language arts, mathematics, and science at the conclusion of each school grade. 

Initially, 46 states adopted the Common Core State Standards, and 4 have since withdrawn from it. So a total of 41 states currently use Common Core in their public education systems. We polled 1,000 American parents from those 41 states to determine their opinions on Common Core State Standards, and some interesting trends and themes emerged. 

HOMEWORK & STRESS

• 65% of parents find it hard to help their children with common core subject homework, and 83% say it stresses them out. 
• 65% of parents said their child gets frustrated with them or stressed out when they are unable to help with common core homework.
• 33% of parents said the biggest stressor when trying to help their child with Common Core homework is arriving at the correct answer but using a different methodology than what’s required by the teacher. 23% said they were stressed by not knowing the answer of the question or how to arrive at the answer. 16% said the biggest stressor was knowing the answer to the question but not being able to explain to their child. 15% said their stress was due to their child’s inability to concentrate and 13% said it was due to unclear questions and assignments from the teacher.  
• 80% of parents said they use the methods they learned when they were in school to help their kids with their homework, and nearly 74% said this has caused problems.

MATH

• 79% of parents said they think today’s math is the #1 subject that is taught the most differently than it used to be, and 67% said math is the subject their child struggles with the most 
• 46% of parents said the strategy behind solving arithmetic equations is the biggest change in how math is taught in schools now. 24% of parents said the biggest change is the increased focus on conceptual understanding instead of mastering methods. 23% said the biggest change is from in-class use of technological learning tools and 7% said it was sheer workload.  

OVERALL OPINIONS 

• 64% of parents said the biggest outcome from the shift in Common Core teaching in the U.S. has been inhibited ability for students to learn key skills and facts due to over-complicated subject matter, while 27% said the biggest outcome for students has been an enhanced grasp on complex concepts that teaches them to think for themselves.
• 60% of parents said they think Common Core teaching methods used today are less effective for students’ overall comprehension and educational knowledge base than the methods used previously, and 51% think it has negatively impacted student learning.
• 51% of parents said they think the shift in how common core subjects are taught has negatively impacted students’ ability to score well on standardized tests.
• 54% of parents said they think teachers do not prefer to teach common core subjects as opposed to the teaching methods that were previously used. 

HELPFUL TIPS

• 79% of parents said they think a parent guide with tips would be helpful in assisting their child with their common core homework
• 91% of parents think online resources and technology are a huge asset in helping students learn Common Core subject matter