Meeting of the Board of Regents | April 2010

SUMMARY

Issue for Discussion

New York State Common Core Standards Review and Adoption Process Update

             

Procedural History

In December 2009, the Regents approved a Common Core Standards Review and Adoption Process that included, in Phase II, engaging the field in a review and alignment of the Common Core Standards to existing NYS learning standards and the development of a draft set of standards and performance expectations (85% NGA/CCSSO Common Core Standards; 15% State developed as judged necessary).  Because the timeline for the release of the final Common Core Standards has been revised since the Regents approved the plan in December, the NYS Common Core Standards Review and Adoption Process had to be adjusted based on the plan to release the final Common Core Standards several months later than originally planned.  

Background Information

              The Race to the Top Round Two application calls for states to adopt the Common Core Standards developed by NGA/CCSSO by August 2, 2010.   We now anticipate that the final Common Core Standards will be released in late May 2010.  The Regents are scheduled to take action on the Common Core Standards (85%) at the July 2010 Regents meeting in order to meet the Race to the Top deadline.  Phase II of the New York State Common Core Standards Review and Adoption Process would continue after the Regents action in July and result in potential adoption of the other 15% in the fall.    

              Because the final Common Core Standards were originally expected to be released first in January and then in March, the timeline for Phase II of the New York State Common Core Standards Review and Adoption Process had to be adjusted.   Phase II would now call for teams of stakeholders (including teachers, administrators, college faculty members and administrators, and cognitive psychologists), to work during summer 2010 to:

• review the final set of NGA/CCSSO Common Core Standards against the draft ELA/ESL learning standards, 2005 Mathematics Core, the SRI Working Principles and other pertinent documents, and
• develop a proposed draft of P-12 NYS Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics that includes the Common Core Standards (85%) and additional recommended NYS Standards (15% as judged necessary) for statewide public comment (Phase III).

              The Phase II teams would be charged with providing:

• analysis and recommendations for additional standards and grade specific student expectations P-12;
• an independent paper review to assure completeness, clarity and rigor; and
• an independent paper review to assure developmental appropriateness and rigor.

            The draft NYS Learning Standards for ELA and Mathematics developed in Phase II would be brought to the Regents for discussion in September and released for public comment (Phase III of the New York State Common Core Standards Review and Adoption Process).  Final standards and grade by grade performance indicators for P-12 would be presented to the Board of Regents for approval in the fall.

           Adoption of the Common Core Standards directly links not only to the Race to the Top competition but also to other education reform programs at the national level: 

• The Obama Administrations’ blueprint for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (ESEA), includes a call to all states to develop and adopt college- and career-ready standards in English language arts and mathematics, and references the development and adoption of common, state-developed standards.
• The Common Core Standards will be directly linked to the RTTT Common Assessment project.  The RTTT Assessment Grant Program will provide funding to consortia of States to develop new assessments that are valid and instructionally useful, provide accurate information about what students know and can do, and measure student achievement against a common set of college- and career-ready, K-12 standards.  These new assessments are intended to play a critical role in educational systems; providing administrators, educators, parents, and students the data and information needed to continuously improve teaching and learning.  Grant applications from assessment consortia are due on June 23, 2010.