I’ve heard of both Common Core Standards and Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) but don’t know much information about either of them.  I thought this would be a good opportunity to do some research and find out how they impact the world of education.  Common Core Standards are educational standards that are implemented across all states (www.corestandards.org).  These standards address both the importance of content and skills.  “They are a clear set of shared goals and expectations for what knowledge and skills will help our students succeed” (www.corestandards.org).  The standards are provided to the teachers and districts however it is up to the administrators to determine how the standards will be taught.

APPR is a system established to evaluate teacher’s performances in the classroom.  Techniques such as observations, self review, peer review, video assessments, and portfolio reviews are a few ways that administrators evaluate educators teaching tactics in the classroom.  Each district has its own APPR plan that it establishes in order to evaluate their faculty.  This system is mainly used for teachers holding an initial certification (http://nysut.org/research/bulletins/20040909sedappr.html).