Board of Regents Approves New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards
On Tuesday, January 11, the Board of Regents approved the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and Literacy; the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics; and the New York State Prekindergarten Learning Standards. The Board had previously adopted the national Common Core Standards in July 2010 with the understanding that additional New York State specific K-12 expectations and prekindergarten standards would be added.
The Regents actions followed six months of statewide discussion, feedback, revision, and a survey of over 800 teachers and other stakeholders culminating in the three documents approved on January 11. The recommended additions for English Language Arts and Literacy include expectations for student inquiry, culture and diversity, and literature. These concepts are embedded to strengthen and deepen the existing Common Core for English Language Arts. In Mathematics, one addition was made to Kindergarten and one to first grade to strengthen the standards. No additions were made for Grades 2-12 in Mathematics.
Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said, “New York’s Common Core is the foundation upon which we are building the statewide curriculum and assessments essential to the Regents goal of college and career readiness for every one of our students. The approval of these standards is an enormous accomplishment, a signal to everyone with a stake in our schools that the Regents Reform Agenda is underway in New York State.”
Education Commissioner David M. Steiner said, “With the New York Common Core Standards in place we can now begin to build the sequenced, content-rich statewide curriculum and embedded assessments our children rightly deserve. This work has been shared by a great many of our stakeholders and will involve countless more of them as we continue to create the future of public education in New York State using the standards approved today along with the curriculum and assessment we will put in place over the next three years.”
Chairman of the Standards Work Group, Regent James C. Dawson said, “The Regents see the recently approved Common Core State Standards in ELA, Literacy, and Math as well as the new NYS PreK Learning Standards as a high altitude view of what will happen in the classroom. This will be followed by more detailed curriculum models that will not be mandatory but will give guidance to classrooms that will be consistent with a revised assessment system.”
Senior Deputy for P-12 Education John King said, “As we build the curriculum and assessments associated with the common core standards, our state’s Race to the Top work is underway. We are fully engaged in developing and supporting great teachers and leaders, in building a powerful and agile student data system, and in implementing aggressive and bold strategies to turn around our lowest achieving schools. This is a remarkable time to be associated with education in New York State.”
Also supporting the Regents Reform Agenda and the Race to the Top initiative is the development of the New York State Prekindergarten (PreK) Learning Standards. These Learning Standards will strengthen instruction in PreK classrooms in all settings, as well as help administrators and educators align PreK Learning Standards with the K-12 system. This set of standards will support high-quality early childhood education for children before entry to kindergarten.
Implementation of the New York State Common Core Learning Standards will begin in all schools in the 2011-12 school year. The reporting of state assessment results for 2011-12 will include performance mapped to both the existing NYS standards and the new NYS standards (inclusive of the Common Core). In the 2012-13 school year, classroom instruction is expected to be fully aligned to the new standards. Assessments that year will test achievement of the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy and Mathematics.
The P-12 ELA & Literacy and Mathematics curriculum models will be created to facilitate student achievement of the new P-12 standards and are scheduled to be available to schools during the 2012-13 school year.
Full details of the New York State Common Core State Standards approved by the Board of Regents can be found at: http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2011Meetings/January2011/111p12swa1.html.
The New York State Education Department’s Common Core State Standards Initiative website contains the full text of the approved Common Core Learning Standards, a history of their development, extensive background materials, and a timeline looking forward to the development of statewide curricula and assessments based upon the common core standards: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/.
· College and Career Readiness Survey
The Board of Regents would like your feedback on a College and Career Readiness Survey which focuses on three topics: College and Career Readiness Frameworks, Necessary Skills and Knowledge for College and Workforce Success, and New York State Graduation Requirements (current requirements can be found at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gradreq/gradreq3columnstyle01_10.pdf).
The survey should take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete and it must be completed in one session.
Please follow this link to access the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LJTTZ6R
This survey is one aspect of a series of meetings, presentations, and data collection processes conducted in 2010 by the Board of Regents' College and Career Readiness Working Group. Results of the survey will be shared with the Board of Regents at their March meeting.
The deadline for your input has been extended to February 18, 2011 at 12:00 midnight.
Thank you in advance for your time and your continued support of all students in New York State. Your input matters!