Book Review: Using Common Core Standards to Enhance Classroom Instruction and Assessment

As if I didn't have enough to do, I ordered about five books for my Kindle.  The first I read was this one.  I don't really think it was worth my money.  Not to say it was a bad book, though.

The thing is, if you know anything about the common core, then this book will rehash everything.  If you, like me, were thinking of buying this book because you wanted to use the advertised grading scales that were made for each standard and included in the book, don't bother.  If you own Marzano's Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work, all the Common Core version does is put the standards into the four-point rubric.  That's pretty much it.  I'm pretty sure I am able to do that myself without spending about $20 to have someone else do that for me.

Now, the one saving grace of the book is the chapter that teaches the processes for various cognitive strategies.  These would be helpful for me in the classroom.  I liked reading how Marzano and his team suggest breaking down how to teach a cognitive process such as generating a conclusion or presenting and supporting claims.  They would make excellent lessons and mini-lessons in the classroom.  These are the strategies that are truly helpful for my students.

Overall, I would give this book a D.  The only helpful part of the book for me was the section on cognitive processes.  The rest was a rewrite of many of his previous books and research.  As a busy teacher (and I quote), "Ain't nobody got time for that."