HB264 By Representatives Fincher, Mooney, Whorton (I), Holmes (M), Hanes, Martin, Hurst, Millican, Johnson (R), Whorton (R), Ledbetter, Harbison, Fridy, Wingo, Polizos, Drake, Ainsworth, Williams (JW), Moore (B) and Beckman RFD Education Policy Rd 1 18-FEB-16

SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, the State Board of Education is required to establish curriculum standards for all K-12 public schools.

This bill would terminate the use of the standards commonly known as the Common Core Standards, also known as the Alabama College- and Career-Ready Standards.

This bill would direct the State Board of Education to replace the Common Core Standards for Math and English Language Arts with the courses of study for Math and English Language Arts in place immediately prior to adoption of the Common Core Standards and use these transition standards in K-12 public schools for the 2016-2017 school year.

This bill would require the State Board of Education to revise the pre-Common Core transition standards into new curriculum standards, to be known as the Alabama Ahead Standards, to be used in all K-12 public schools starting with the 2017-2018 school year.

This bill would create the Alabama Excellence Standards Commission to provide consulting services to the State Board of Education while it creates the Alabama Ahead Standards and provide a report of the new curriculum standards to certain members of the legislature and the public.

This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from adopting or implementing any other national standards from any source or requiring the use of any assessments aligned with them.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

Relating to public education; to terminate the use of the standards commonly known as the Common Core Standards, also known as the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, in K-12 public schools; to direct the State Board of Education to replace the Common Core Standards for Math and English Language Arts with the courses of study for Math and English Language Arts in place immediately prior to adoption of the Common Core Standards and use these transition standards in public schools for the 2016-2017 school year; to require the State Board of Education to revise the pre-Common Core transition standards into new curriculum standards, to be known as the Alabama Ahead Standards, to be used in all K-12 public schools starting with the 2017-2018 school year; to create the Alabama Excellence Standards Commission to provide consulting services to the State Board of Education while it creates the Alabama Ahead Standards and provide a report of the new curriculum standards to certain members of the legislature and the public; and to prohibit the State Board of Education from adopting or implementing any other national standards from any source or requiring the use of any assessments aligned with them.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. (a) The Legislature finds that the State Board of Education, in the fall of 2013, voted to rescind the Memorandum of Agreement that involved the State of Alabama in adopting the Common Core Standards, which ceded control of Alabama's standards to entities other than the state and local educational agencies, and declared that the collection of personal data concerning students of Alabama public schools would not be collected or compiled.

(b) In order to codify the intent of the board, the State of Alabama hereby terminates all plans, programs, activities, efforts, and expenditures relative to the implementation of the educational initiative commonly referred to as the Common Core State Standards, or any derivative or permutation thereof, including, but not limited to, the Alabama College- and Career-Ready Standards that have been adopted or may be adopted by the board or its employees, including any assessments, data collection, and instructions based on or involving any such standard or protocol.

(c) As part of the transition, the board shall replace the current Common Core Standards, also known as the Alabama College- and Career-Ready Standards, with the courses of study for Math in place until May 2011, and for English Language Arts in place until May 2012, both of which were used in classrooms immediately prior to implementation of the Common Core Standards. These standards shall be known as the Transition Standards and shall remain in effect for the 2016-2017 school year.

(d) Following existing state law regarding the process for revision of the Alabama courses of study, the State Board of Education shall proceed with revising the Transition Standards, based upon the pre-Common Core Standards of the state whose national scores ranked no less than the top 10 percent in the nation. The resulting curriculum standards for Math and English Language Arts shall begin in the 2017-2018 school year and shall be known as the Alabama Ahead Standards.

(e) There is created the Alabama Excellence Standards Commission, to be comprised of internationally recognized experts of curriculum standards who have not advocated the Common Core Standards. Members of the commission shall be jointly appointed by the Chair of the Senate Education and Youth Affairs Committee and the Chair of the House Education Policy Committee. Members of the commission shall be available throughout the process by which the Transition Standards are revised into new curriculum standards pursuant to subsection (d), and shall produce a report reviewing the final draft of the Alabama Ahead Standards. At least 30 days prior to action by the State Board of Education to adopt the Alabama Ahead Standards, the report shall be provided to the Chair of the Senate Education and Youth Affairs Committee and the Chair of the House Education Policy Committee and shall be made available to the public.

(f) The Legislature further prohibits the adoption or implementation of any national standards from any source, or the use of any assessments aligned with them, that cede control of Alabama educational standards in any manner, including, but not limited to, the Next Generation Science Standards, History Standards, Social Studies Standards, or Sexuality Standards.

(g) The state shall retain sole control over the development, establishment, and revision of K-12 course of study standards.

(h) No education entity or any state official shall join any consortium or any other organization when participation in that consortium or organization would cede any measure of control over any aspect of Alabama public education to any such entity.

Section 2. Any citizen of the State of Alabama shall have standing in the courts of Alabama to bring suit to ensure the enforcement of this act.

Section 3. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Alabama Excellence in Education Act.

Section 4. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Public Education

Curriculum

Public Schools

Board of Education, State