Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 15, 2015 01:44 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Seth M. Grove |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Academic Standards Commission |
| In the near future I will be introducing legislation that will establish an Academic Standards Commission (Commission) to study and offer recommendations to the General Assembly, PA Department of Education (PDE), and the State Board of Education (State Board) concerning the Pennsylvania Core Standards. Pennsylvania’s academic standards set forth the academic benchmarks that every public school student is expected to achieve by certain grade levels. As you may be aware, in 2010 the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, were adopted in Pennsylvania for English Language Arts and Mathematics. After adoption of the CCSS in 2010, the CCSS became increasingly controversial and sparked hotly contentious debate, including much misinformation, in Pennsylvania and around the country. Due to this reaction the State Board and PDE began working with educational experts from around the Commonwealth to adapt the CCSS to the specific needs of Pennsylvania by amending the Title 22, Chapter 4 regulations. The work of the State Board and PDE was informed and spurred on by actions taken by the House of Representatives via Representative English’s HR 338 which urged the Secretary of Education and the State Board not to establish required reading lists or impose a statewide curriculum, not to subject Pennsylvania students to a national standardized assessment, and not to subject students and their families to additional data collection. In March 2014 the State Board adopted new Chapter 4 regulations which contained the more state specific standards now called the Pennsylvania Core Standards, and which also explicitly addressed the concerns expressed in HR 338. Despite this work, some concerns are still being expressed about these standards by various groups and individuals throughout Pennsylvania. Due to these continued concerns it is the intent of my legislation is to help ensure that the Pennsylvania Core Standards adequately meet the needs of students as they progress through our K-12 educational system and beyond into post-secondary education and careers, and to put to rest any lingering concerns associated with our education standards in the Commonwealth. Under my proposal, an Academic Standards Commission will be established to study and offer recommendations to the General Assembly, PDE, and the State Board concerning the Pennsylvania Core Standards. The Commission shall have the power and duty to consult with experts, hold public hearings, receive input from interested parties, review standards utilized throughout the United States, and review and make findings and recommendations in a report which shall be issued within 18 months of the Commission’s first meeting. The recommendations of the Commission may include suggested policy statements, guidelines, regulations, or legislation, and may include suggested improvements. The Commission shall be comprised of the following members:
|
||
| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB177