Teachers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness and Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are becoming a reality in American schools. This study sought to explore the teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness and implementation of the CCSS within one suburban St. Louis public school district. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological case study was to explore teachers' feelings about the implementation and effectiveness of the change to the CCSS. It was anticipated that the knowledge generated from this study would provide valuable information to the district level administrators of this district and other school districts making the change to the CCSS. The researcher included participants from across the district at all levels and disciplines. This study explored the assumption that when a school district begins the process of implementing the CCSS, teachers will have perceptions about the effectiveness and ways in which the school district is implementing those standards. The study looked at the perceptions of the standards as a whole, the perceptions of the district's procedures of implementing the standards, and the teachers' perceptions of how successful they perceive their students will be once the standards are fully implemented. The study used an online survey with a Likert scale and open-ended questions. The majority of teachers feel as if the new standards are a step in the right direction for their students. However, teachers often feel as if they do not have all the materials and information they need to accomplish the goals they are asked to achieve. The missing information and materials lead to implementation issues.