SB60 By Senator Glover RFD Education and Youth Affairs Rd 1 02-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 adoption and implementation of the standards commonly known as the Common Core Standards, also known as the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards (ACCRS).

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.

This bill would further protect state and local control of education by restricting 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 adoption and implementation 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; and to direct the State Board of Education to replace the Common Core Standards for Math and English Language Arts with the courses of study in place immediately prior to adoption of the Common Core Standards.

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 which 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 to an improved Alabama standards process, 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 updating 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 improved 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) As part of the termination process, the Legislature directs the State Superintendant of Education, the State Board of Education, and any other public authority to terminate the flexibility waiver agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, pertaining to the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which includes the adoption of the Common Core Standards, also known as the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, and other areas of federal control of the educational process.

(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) Any education entity or any state official shall not 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 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