Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell
(D-Theresa) announced that the Assembly passed legislation today that halts implementation
of Common Core testing standards on students' grades, teachers' evaluations and
prohibits the state from providing sensitive student data to third party
vendors until 2015.
“We all support the goal of
preparing our students to be successful as they enter college and the workforce,
but the chaotic rollout of Common Core has only produced confusion,”
Assemblywoman Russell said. “This legislation gives our students, teachers,
schools and parents an opportunity to catch their breath and adapt to these new
standards while protecting students from being penalized for its poor implementation.”
The bill, which now moves to the Senate,
prevents Common Core testing from being used in evaluating the performance of teachers
and principals for two years and limits the use of Common Core tests in
promotion and placement decisions for students in grades three through eight. Additionally, the legislation instructs the
state Education Department commissioner to look at ways to eliminate excessive
tests and bans standardized tests in kindergarten through second grade.
“It’s not fair to our children to leave
them caught in the middle while the state Education Department works to get the
bugs out,” Assemblywoman Russell said. “While it’s vital that we adopt
standards that prepare our students to compete in the 21st century,
we must provide the time and resources necessary to be successful.”
The legislation will also prohibit
the state Education Department from providing confidential student data to
private, third party vendors like inBloom until July 1, 2015 and allows parents
to opt out of the program once it takes effect. Parents across the North
Country have expressed concern about the safety of providing personal student
data to private companies and this legislation halts the process until security
concerns can be addressed, Assemblywoman Russell noted.
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