The Sacramento Bee – Diana Lambert
“Folsom Hills Elementary School students don’t seem nervous about taking new computerized math and English tests in the coming weeks. Their parents are a different story. The school, nestled in an affluent Folsom neighborhood, is known for its involved parents and high test scores. Movie nights, fall carnivals, spelling bees and science and math events are the norm. “Parents are more worried than their kids,” said Matt Stuart as he sat under a maroon market umbrella on a patio paid for by the PTA. “People don’t like change.” Stuart said he understands why schools are adopting the national Common Core standards, which proponents say focus more on critical thinking and problem solving. But he suspects many parents are anxious about the expected dip in test scores. “People tend to have a knee-jerk reaction,” he said.”(more)