However, many students still report not feeling challenged in school. In surveys, almost one-third of 4th graders nationwide said that their math work is “too easy,” and nearly 20 percent of high school seniors said that they don’t feel like they are learning in math class.
“The science of learning tells us that rigor helps people learn, and students need challenging, complex curricula,” said Ulrich Boser, CAP Senior Fellow and author of a new book on the science of learning called Learn Better. “We need to continue with the implementation of the Common Core standards, which can help ensure that more students are engaged in deeper, more enriching learning experiences.”
CAP’s report is based on an analysis of student questionnaires from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, otherwise known as “The Nation’s Report Card.” CAP released a version of this report in 2012—when many states had just committed to the Common Core State Standards—and five years later, CAP decided to re-examine the data to see how classrooms have changed and how student perceptions of their schoolwork might have shifted. The Common Core standards were an attempt to raise expectations by establishing a new set of rigorous K-12 academic benchmarks, and the 2012 CAP analysis underscored the need for more rigorous standards, such as the Common Core, as a way to boost student learning.
According to the new analysis, the Common Core standards have sparked a more intensive focus on richer types of school work. The analysis also showed that an increasing number of students are engaging in the types of learning activities that prepare them to meet the demands of college and the workplace.