The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are state education standards for English language arts and mathematics developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of State School Officers. The standards, which states may adopt, seek to raise student achievement and provide more uniform curricula and instruction among states. Forty-five states (including Connecticut), the District of Columbia, and four US territories have adopted the CCSS.
The CCSS are slated to roll out in all participating states beginning in the 2014-15 school year. However, Education Week has found that legislation been introduced this year in several states to withdraw from CCSS participation (Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota). Two states have managed to pass bills in at least one legislative chamber (Indiana, Missouri) and one has passed a bill in both chambers that has yet to be signed into law (Indiana). In May, Pennsylvania’s Gov. Tom Corbett ordered a delay in CCSS implementation, which was slated for July 1, 2013. The governor asked the state board of education to swiftly make “minor modifications to the regulations” for submission to the legislative education committees for final approval.
These state actions stem from nationwide concerns about the new standards, which include the risks of monitoring student mastery of the CCSS through high-stakes testing, the establishment of a national curriculum for public schools, infringement upon local school district and teacher autonomy and creativity, and the added cost of technology upgrades so that students can take computerized tests tied to the standards. The Associated Press reports that various think tanks estimate the cost of implementing the standards range from $8.3 billion to $16 billion.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/anti-cc-bill.html
