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What Will Repeal Of Common Core Standards Mean For Your Child?

Oklahoma State Department of Education
Gov. Mary Fallin and State Superintendent Janet Barresi read to students at the Patience S. Latting Northwest Library in Oklahoma City in 2013.

Oklahoma became the third state in the nation Thursday to move away from the Common Core academic standards.

Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill that repeals the controversial standards and gives Oklahoma two years to craft replacement standards in math and English. She follows South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who signed a similar bill May 30. Indiana dropped Common Core earlier this year.

In explaining her move, Fallin said federal overreach has tainted what was once a state-led initiative to create rigorous standards meant to ensure students are ready for college or the workforce.

“The words ‘Common Core’ in Oklahoma are now so divisive that they have become a distraction that interferes with our mission of providing the best education possible for our children,” Fallin said in a written statement.

Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit organization that produces in-depth and investigative journalism on important public-policy issues facing the state. More Oklahoma Watch content can be found at www.oklahomawatch.org
Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit organization that produces in-depth and investigative journalism on important public-policy issues facing the state. More Oklahoma Watch content can be found at www.oklahomawatch.org

State Superintendent Janet Barresi came out in support of Fallin’s decision Thursday, marking a change of course from her previous stance supporting the standards.

“At one time, as it was emerging from Republican and conservative ideas from individual states, I did support Common Core,” Barresi said in a press release. “As it has become entangled with federal government, however, Common Core has become too difficult and inflexible.”

Here’s a look at what the decision means:

What changes will your child see because of the repeal?

The effects could vary depending on how far along your district was in transition to Common Core. Districts ready to implement the standards must revert to old standards, while those not prepared for Common Core will see little or no changes for now.

Districts should be able to keep using current textbooks and class materials. But the biggest change could be what students are expected to do during testing.

The new standards often require students to have a deeper understanding of the course content.

Instead, Oklahoma will continue using its Priority Academic Student Skills standards, which many educators consider less rigorous than Common Core.

In 2016, the state will switch again to new standards.

It’s unclear what this will mean for standardized testing since the last year PASS was fully implemented on a state assessment was 2010.

Oklahoma has been using a hybrid test combining PASS and Common Core standards, and was preparing to implement a test fully aligned to the Common Core starting next school year.

Oklahoma does not have a test right now that fully relies on PASS standards.

“We’re going to have to cobble a new test together,” state Department of Education spokeswoman Tricia Pemberton said.

It was not immediately clear how the new test will be built.

What will new standards look like?

It’s too early to say, but the law signed Thursday is written in a way that requires e new standards to be compared to Common Core to ensure they are not the same.

Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, who helped author the bill to repeal Common Core State Standards, said there could be similarities between the benchmarks. But “if we just put in the same standards again, we would probably see the same results,” Nelson said of the repeal. “It’s possible we could get newer, better standards.”

In Indiana, proposed new standards have been criticized for being too similar to Common Core.

Some Oklahoma lawmakers who support Common Core have said they believe the same thing may happen in here.

How much will replacing Common Core cost?

Drafting new standards for math and English could run at least $62,000, according to an Oklahoma State Department of Education estimate. That’s based on the $31,086 price tag for creating new social studies standards, which take effect WHEN and were not part of Common Core.

The state also has spent $2.5 million on training and professional development since 2010; hat included Common Core. The money would have been spent as part of the state’s annual training regardless.

The education department may also have to spend $3.8 million to hire new staff if Oklahoma loses its federal No Child Left Behind waiver as a result of dropping Common Core.

The agency estimates about 22 new employees will be needed to monitor schools’ academic progress and provide training and support to districts as required by NCLB regulations.

An extension of the state’s waiver is pending, and a decision from the U.S. Department of Education is expected by the end of June.

What would losing the No Child Left Behind waiver mean for your child?

A condition of No Child Left Behind is implementing rigorous standards by 2014-2015 that ensure students are prepared for college or the workforce.

The current PASS standards fall short of that threshold, meaning the U.S. Department of Education could revoke the waiver

That would mean about $27 million, or 20 percent, of Oklahoma’s federal Title I funding for high-poverty schools would be set aside for transportation and tutoring programs. The money is generally used to fund reading programs and hire teachers who work with students in low-income schools.

Lawmakers and education experts fear setting aside the money could result in layoffs. That has happened in states without a waiver.

Schools with fewer than 100 percent of their students hitting proficiency benchmarks for English and math for five consecutive years could also be forced to restructure. Options include replacing the principal and half the teaching staff, closing the school and sending students to better performing schools, or converting the school into a charter.

It’s unclear if this will all come about.

Restructuring of schools is considered a worst-case scenario. The U.S. Department of Education could opt to give states more time if they show commitment to drafting new standards.

In the end, what drove Fallin's decision?

Fallin expressed support for Common Core last year, but since has seen grass-roots opposition mount in Oklahoma and nationally over fears among many, especially Republicans, that the standards are a Trojan horse for federal control. Even many teachers and Democrats grew wary, saying Common Core would bring more testing. Joe Dorman, the Democratic candidate for governor, opposes Common Core.

The federal government did not play a role in writing the standards; they were drafted by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association and adopted by states. Oklahoma did so in 2010.

The U.S. Department of Education has used them as an incentive to award federal funding to states. Oklahoma has competed for that funding, but has not received any yet.

In a news release Thursday, Fallin linked Common Core to President Barack Obama.

“Unfortunately, federal overreach has tainted Common Core. President Obama and Washington bureaucrats have usurped Common Core in an attempt to influence state education standards.

“We cannot ignore the widespread concern of citizens, parents, educators and legislators who have expressed fear that adopting Common Core gives up local control of Oklahoma’s public schools."

Oklahoma Watch is a non-profit organization that produces in-depth and investigative journalism on important public-policy issues facing the state. Oklahoma Watch is non-partisan and strives to be balanced, fair, accurate and comprehensive. The reporting project collaborates on occasion with other news outlets. Topics of particular interest include poverty, education, health care, the young and the old, and the disadvantaged.
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