Cuomo's Common Core Panel Issues Report

Panel calls for continued implementation of Common Core and APPR but recommends the state cut inBloom ties:

Gov. Cuomo's Common Core panel wants to restrict how much time can be used teaching to the tests, limit standardized testing to those above second grade, and end a controversial contract with a data sharing company, the Daily News has learned.

The report is broken into four sections of recommendations, legislative and other sources briefed on the findings say.

One recommendation would limit to 1% the instructional time that can be spent on the assessment tests and another 1% giving the tests. In addition, there should be a limit of no more than 2% of instructional time for "test prep" under testing conditions.

The report will also recommend barring standardized testing for students in prekindergarten through second grade and ensuring that the English and math assessment exams will not be used against students when it comes to grade promotion or appear on their permanent records.

For the time being, students would take both the new Common Core Regents exams and the old ones, with the highest score counting, the report recommends, according to sources.

And it would give districts flexibility to waive certain testing for the severely disabled and those for whom English is a second language.

The sources say the report also recommends creating online resources and toolkits for parents to help them work with their kids at home and calls for local community events and the dissemination of materials through schools, non-profit groups, libraries and other partners.

In addition, the report calls for increased professional development opportunities for teachers as well as opportunities for more collaboration among instructors on lesson plans and classroom practices.

The report, the sources say, also urges that teachers get access to the Common Core curriculum as quickly as possible.

And it calls on the state to halt its relationship with inBloom, a private company that would have access to private student data that can be shared. The sources say there is also a recommendation for strict data protection and security requirements.

Many of the recommendations mirror what has already been proposed by the Board of Regents. The report does not recommend delaying the teacher evaluation process as some legislators want, though it does back the Regents decision to delay by five-years requiring passage of Common Core Regents exams in order to graduate. The new standards will take affect for the class of 2022.

The report comes out a day before the Legislature is set to consider whether to reappoint four members of the Board of Regents. The normally staid process is expected to be contentious because of anger over the Regents' missteps in implementing the Common Core.

The tests will still count for school ratings and teacher evaluations, but they're going to limit test prep to 2% of instructional time?

Oh, yeah - I'm sure that'll happen.

So long as the tests remain high stakes for schools and teachers, there is going to be an inordinate amount of test prep taking away from instructional time.

That's the reality, no matter what jive Cuomo's CCSS panel tries to enshrine into practice.

If they want to get rid of the test prep, they need to get rid of the high stakes attached to the tests.

Since Cuomo is adamant that won't happen, the test prep part of this report is garbage.

I'll have more later - especially about the part about giving both the old AND the new Common Core tests to students.

They want to limit the time spent on testing but they're going to give both the old AND the new tests - that should go swimmingly.