| dc.description.abstract | This study explored the concerns that K-12 teachers in five states (N = 145) had about implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and how those concerns differed by demographic characteristics of the teacher. Specifically, this study sought to answer two questions: (1) What are teachers' identifiable stages of concern about CCSS? (2) How do those stages of concern differ by years of teaching experience, category of teaching, and grade level taught? Data collection consisted of a 35-item, Likert-scale survey, demographic data, two open-ended questions, and follow-up interviews with a subset of participants. Analysis of Variance revealed significant differences in the relative intensity of some stages of concern by grade taught, and category of teaching, but not for years of experience. In addition there were statistically significant differences in relative intensity of some stages of concern by state, by gender, by whether or not the respondent had received CCSS training, and by district urbanicity. Multiple regression revealed that some demographic characteristics had a statistically significant effect on the relative intensity of concerns for Stages 0 and 5. An analysis of the open-ended question responses revealed that, of those respondents who answered the questions (n = 96), 67% (n = 64) felt prepared or somewhat prepared, while 33% (n = 32) felt unprepared. The two resources most needed, according to the responses, were time and training. The semi-structured interviews conducted after the survey (n = 5) validated that the respondents were in the early stages of adoption with higher concerns in Stages 0 - 3. This study reinforced the importance of understanding and acting upon teacher concerns to optimize CCSS implementation, particularly in the area of information about the standards and what they mean for the teacher in the classroom. Future research should explore impacts of structured teacher professional development on the nature and intensity of concerns. | |
