87 percent of Common Core textbooks don't teach kids what they need to know for standardized tests

Well, Louis C.K.'s kids now have another reason to hate math.

Seven out of every eight textbooks labeled as compliant with Common Core educational standards don't teach students all the information they need for standardized testing, The Daily Beast reports. For example, former New York math teacher Cheryl Schafer noticed that Common Core had children learning the Pythagorean Theorem in seventh grade, but some of the textbooks she had didn't teach it until eighth grade — despite claiming Common Core compliance.

Schafer now works with a nonprofit called EdReports, which reviewed 80 math textbooks and found that just 11 actually taught the right things at the right time to prepare students for standardized tests. Nine of the 11 that passed were from the same publisher. EdReports is planning additional reviews in an effort to make school districts more informed consumers.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up