Common Core review group calls for new standards

Taking into account the feedback of 2,100 students, parents, teachers, and administrators, Cuomo’s task force recommends that no test scores be used to evaluate students or teachers until the 2019-2020 school year, at which point the state can implement its own improved standards.

NY state’s Common Core task force has recommended an overhaul of the controversial education standards. “It can include common core, but it doesn’t have to”. Educators should be involved at every stage, the task force said. The Task Force has released a report detailing the comments gathered during the inquiry process throughout the state. Last December, when fewer than 1% of teachers flunked statewide ratings, Cuomo blasted the results as “an evaluation system in name”.

The standards should be more flexible and should better consider English language learners and disabled students.

Educators at every level need more tools, training and flexibility in the curriculum that is adopted to meet the standards. “While this process plays out, we should remove any negative consequences tied to Common Core-aligned tests for students and educators”.

This rather vague recommendation leaves the teacher-evaluation system in place, and would likely require school districts to replace test scores with another measure for the next several years. The Education Department will no longer be able to tell states and local districts how to assess school and teacher performance.

School Board President Cathy Lewis has said she thinks the Common Core standards are “beginning to show favorable results” for Schenectady students. “So that’s going to also be explored so, you know, really this put us in a position where the information that we’re getting from these tests is more informative and really helps us to make sure our children are prepared for the 21st century”, said Sam Radford.

“New York teachers will be developing NY standards and they will have a hand in shaping those standards”, noted Magee.

The movement threatened to grow in 2016, as educators, parents and students continued to protest what they say has become a high-stakes testing culture and one-size-fits-all approach to education. Earlier today Arva Rice mentioned that “I am very honored that the task force would use my testimony in their final recommendations to the Governor”.

The task force heard plenty of testimony. The real reason that this task force was formed – and apparently given the freedom to reach real conclusions – was that more than 200,000 students (and their parents) boycotted at least one state test this past spring.

The report criticizes Common Core’s implementation, saying teachers did not have enough time to develop a new curriculum.