Governor Outlines Recent Common Core Reforms

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo

ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that students taking Common Core state tests in grades 3-8 this week will be protected thanks to new reforms enacted in the FY14-15 state budget. The reforms eliminate high stakes for students on this year’s tests so that the state can move forward with improved Common Core implementation.

The Common Core Implementation Reform Act signed by Governor Cuomo includes the following changes:

• Common Core scores on state tests in grades 3-8 are banned from being printed on students’ transcripts or included in their permanent records;
• School districts cannot use Common Core scores on state tests in grades 3-8 as the sole or primary factor in any major decisions for students like grade promotion and placement;
• Standardized “bubble tests” cannot be used for children in pre-kindergarten through second grade;
• The amount of class time that can be used for state and local standardized tests and for standardized test prep is limited, emphasizing that the best way to prepare students is through excellent teaching;
• Transparency on local testing is required and it is easier for school districts to eliminate unnecessary over-testing; and
• New York’s data privacy and security laws are strengthened to improve public protection while continuing the use of critical data and technology tools for educational and operational services.

Forty-four states have adopted the Common Core standards, which are based on the knowledge and skills that students need to succeed in college and the workplace in the twenty-first century, as well as the educational strategies used in the best-performing countries in the world. This is the second year that New York State has tested students based on these higher standards.