Utah's academic standards are too vague in some areas and are deficient in social studies, hindering efforts to create a common learning base, according to an American Federation of Teachers report released Thursday.
The report determined that high school writing conventions are a repeat of middle school and that social studies standards lack specific U.S. history, world history and civics content at the elementary level - something common in most states."Utah's strong academic standards in math and science are a good start," Heidi Glidden, author of the "Making Standards Matter 1998" report, said in a prepared statement. Math and science standards are more specific than English and social studies across the country, the report says.
"But clearer standards in English at the high school level, and in social studies at every level, would greatly assist teachers, students and parents in knowing what's expected of students."
Actually, that's the sentiment of the State Office of Education, which is rewriting its secondary language arts and social studies core curricula, said Jerry Peterson, associate state superintendent of instructional services.
"It kind of implies the reason we're going through the rewriting process to bring ourselves up to date," said Peterson, who had not reviewed the report. "My general opinion is that they're not saying anything we haven't or are not addressing in our curriculum rewrite areas."
The annual report aims to promote strong academic standards nationwide and provide suggestions on how to do so. It analyzes state standards according to AFT's criteria, including whether standards are grounded in core subjects, are specific, include consequences for failing students and state assessments and whether the state provides funding for students needing help meeting standards.
Utah offers the Standard Achievement Test to fifth-, eighth- and 11th-graders and tests students in elementary grades.
But it has no such funding for struggling students. However, the proposal by Scott Bean, state superintendent of public instruction, to create an optional summer term for students needing extra help or wanting to forge ahead in their education would provide funding in that vein, Peterson said.
Bean's proposal is aimed at raising the academic bar for Utah schoolchildren and includes increasing graduation requirements.
The report says Utah has no incentives for students to meet standards, a point that baffles Peterson. "The greatest incentive, I think, is a diploma," he said.
The report looks at all states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
"Nationally, the trends are all in the right direction, with states making their academic standards tougher, clearer and more consequential for students," Sandra Feldman, AFT president, said in a prepared statement. "We're especially pleased that more states are requiring and funding extra academic help for students who are struggling to meet the standards."
Seven states have or are developing standard-based promotion policies, and 24 states, four more than last year, will require exit exams for graduation. Nineteen states will offer advanced diplomas to students exceeding minimum standards.
The report suggests all states include references to U.S. and world history in social studies standards, find ways to identify struggling students early, clarify standards documents for teachers and parents to access and strengthen elementary reading standards.