1Urging the Secretary of Education and the State Board of
2Education to ensure that Pennsylvania's academic standards
3are thoroughly rigorous for all Pennsylvania students.

4WHEREAS, Academic standards are statements of what students
5are expected to know and to be able to do at specific grade
6levels; and

7WHEREAS, The establishment of academic standards is within
8the jurisdiction of each state; and

9WHEREAS, Prior to the mid-1990s, Pennsylvania had no
10Statewide academic standards for its students; and

11WHEREAS, Pennsylvania began to implement standards-based
12education in the mid-1990s; and

13WHEREAS, The State Board of Education adopted Pennsylvania's
14first State Standards in Mathematics and in Reading, Writing,
15Speaking and Listening in January 1999; and

16WHEREAS, During the years 2002 through 2006, the State Board
17of Education adopted additional standards in Science and

1Technology, History, Health/Safety and Physical Education,
2Geography, Family and Consumer Science, Environment and Ecology,
3Economics, Civics and Government, Career Education and Work and
4Arts and Humanities; and

5WHEREAS, In 2004, several states began collaborating on the
6development of common state standards in Mathematics and English
7Language Arts; and

8WHEREAS, During the late 2000s, the National Governors
9Association, representing all states' chief executives, and the
10Council of Chief State School Officers, representing each
11state's top government official overseeing education, began to
12coordinate the effort to develop common state standards which
13effort culminated in the development of the Common Core State
14Standards; and

15WHEREAS, The State Board of Education adopted the Common Core
16State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts on July
171, 2010, replacing the original standards that the State Board
18of Education adopted in 1999; and

19WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has proposed
20Pennsylvania-specific Common Core State Standards; and

21WHEREAS, Members of the General Assembly are cognizant that
22many concerns have been raised by individual Pennsylvanians as
23well as various organizations within Pennsylvania about the
24adoption of the Common Core State Standards; therefore be it

25RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
26of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania's academic
27standards are thoroughly rigorous <-and effective for all
28Pennsylvania students; and be it further

29RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
30of Education be urged not to adopt future academic standards

1that do not meet or exceed the rigor <-and effectiveness of
2Pennsylvania's current academic standards; and be it further

3RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
4of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania's academic
5standards are adapted to the specific needs of Pennsylvania; and
6be it further

7RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
8of Education be urged to consult with Pennsylvania parents,
9students, teachers, school administrators, school board members,
10representatives of institutions of higher education and business
11and community leaders before adopting any new academic
12standards; and be it further

13RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
14of Education be urged to ensure that public schools continue to
15maintain absolute flexibility in the curriculum that they
16provide under Pennsylvania's proud tradition of local control;
17and be it further

18RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
19of Education be urged not to establish required reading lists or
20in any other way adopt, or attempt to impose, a Statewide
21curriculum; and be it further

22RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
23of Education be urged to reject completely and unilaterally any
24attempts to subject Pennsylvania students to a national
25standardized assessment; and be it further

26RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
27of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania academic
28standards are not burdensome and costly to public schools; and
29be it further

30RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board

1of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania academic
2standards do not result in intrusion into student and family
3privacy or in the collection or reporting of additional data to
4the Federal Government; and be it further

<-5RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
6of Education be urged to commit to close consultations with the
7Education Committee of the House of Representatives before
8taking any further action resulting in the development and
9implementation of new academic standards; and be it further

10RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board
11of Education be urged to amend any regulations necessary to
12effectuate the sentiment of the House of Representatives as
13expressed in this resolution.