Common core update . . .

From time-to-time I have posted about the push back being felt in some states to the Common Core State Standards and the new assessments that will be in place for testing in the spring of 2015.  At this time all but four states have signed on to implement the standards and have maintained this commitment even though many are experiencing organized campaigns to drop them.  That is not, however, the case for using assessments from one of the two national consortia given $360 million to design assessments aligned with the college and career standards. States such as Florida are beginning to pull back from these efforts either deciding to develop their own tests or searching for less expensive alternatives that are beginning to emerge.

With states pulling back, the policy maker's vision of common standards and common assessments in all states will not become a reality.  This Eduflack post and this Eduwonk post capture some of what is happening related to common core status at the national level.  We are not experiencing an organized campaign against the standards from the right or left in our state.  The question that continues to be discussed at the national level is the one around what happens if one state decides to drop the standards.  Will others follow?

The map below shows the current status for each state's assessment plans.  Washington is a member of the Smarter Balanced  group.