Amore Bill Would form Common Core Study Task Force

Rep. Gregg Amore (D-Dist. 65, East Providence) has submitted a bill, 2014-H 7095, creating a task force to evaluate the Common Core State Standards that would also delay a new exam based on them.

RI adopted the Common Core standards in 2010, and is scheduled to implement a new exam based on them next year, according to a release from the Legislative Press Bureau.

The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) plans to distribute the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam, which is slated to replace the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP), next year. The bill would delay that another 12 months, when the task force is expected to complete a report on CCSS and submitted it to the governor and the General Assembly.

“The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam, which is the test that is supposed to replace the NECAP, has not been properly vetted or validated,” Amore said, “Until we have all the facts in front of us and know what we’re getting ourselves into, we should not be holding anyone accountable through this system."

Amore's proposed task force would be comprised of 20 members, including the commissioner of education or a designee. 

The task force would study:

• A description of actions taken by the state to-date to in order to implement the common core state standards and a timeline of any subsequent actions to be taken;

• A comparison of the common core state standards for English language arts and mathematics to the core curriculum content standards in language arts literacy and mathematics that existed prior to the adoption of the common core state standards;

• An estimate of the full cost for school districts to implement the common core state standards, including projected costs and costs already incurred by districts in preparation for the new system;

• An analysis of students’ performance on the state assessments prior to the 2012-2013 school year and in the 2012-2013 and subsequent school years. The analysis shall assess changes in the achievement gap between different racial and ethnic groups, as well as different economic groups.

The task force would also be charged with evaluating the issue of student and family personal data mining and the right to students’ privacy. Members of the panel would consider data related to learning disabilities, student behavior, political affiliation, religious affiliation and medical history.

The task force would also be required to hold at least four public hearings, with at least one meeting in each of the northern, central and southern regions of the state.