Idaho’s Common Core Timeline
Below is a timeline being developed regarding Idaho’s involvement with the Common Core State Standards:
February 2009: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Stimulus Bill) earmarked $4.35 billion for the Department of Education. Education dedicated the money to its Race to the Top (RTTT) competitive grant program open to the states.
April 24, 2009: Supt Luna and Governor Otter apply for State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) grant with its four assurances.
May 2009: Gov. Otter and Luna signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), committing to a, “state-led process – the Common Core State Standards Initiative. (CCSSI)
January 13, 2010: Idaho Submitted Race to the Top 1 (first round) application, committing to Education Reforms. Application notes that Governor Otter signed it. It commits the state to the U.S. Department of Education’s reform system which include adopting the Common Core State Standards, assessments, data collection, etc.
March 12, 2010: National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers release first draft of Common Core State Standards.
May 10, 2010: Phase II SFSF application signed. How is state meeting four assurances?
May 14, 2010: Luna announces that ID will not apply for RttT2 due to the short timeline, etc.
June 2, 2010: NGA and CCSSO Release Final Draft of Common Core State Standards.
June 2, 2010: Presidents of Idaho’s Institutes of Higher Education sign a “Letter of Intent for Institutes of Higher Education.” Any student graduating passing the summative Common Core assessments guaranteed to be placed in credit bearing college courses. No remedial work will be needed.
June 2, 2010: Luna and Otter sign Memorandum of Agreement with Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. (SBAC)
August 11-12, 2010: Idaho State Board of Education adopts Common Core Stated Standards.
November 10, 2011: Idaho State Board of Education adopts Common Core State Standards.(Link 2) (I have asked the SBOE for clarification on the two dates and received none.)
December 15, 2010: Luna named president-elect of CCSSO, term to begin in November 2011. Release states that “CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues.”
January 24, 2011: Idaho completes its adoption process for the Common Core. That process entailed (according to the 1/24 state Dep’t of Ed press release): (1) the SBOE initially adopted the Common Core (8/2010), (2) the SBOE adopted it finally (11/2010), and (3) then a legislative committee (Sen. Ed C’ee) voted on it.
Mar.-Apr., 2011: Governor Otter signs Students Come First Legislation (S. 1108, 1110 & 1184).
February 16, 2012: ID submits its NCLB Waiver (ESEA Flexibility) Request. It again commits the state to the Common Core Standards system, for example, the Common Core (sec. 1.A), assessments (1.C), teacher evaluations (3). The waiver application notes that the “Students Come First laws are rooted in the higher Common Core State Standards…through these laws, Idaho is making historic investments in classroom technology, implementing pay-for-performance for teachers, tying performance evaluations to student growth measurement, providing unprecedented funding for professional development, expanding digital learning and paying for every high school junior to take a college entrance exam.”
In the waiver application, Idaho (at pp. 21 and exhibits 4 & 5) checked option B, meaning that it had submitted its Standards to the state network of institutions of higher learning for certification that they are “college and career ready.” The application makes the following statements:
“Obtion B.i: The state of Idaho adopted the Common Core State Standards officially during the 2011 legislative session…..Idaho will have full implementation of the Common Core State Standards by 2013-2014.
Option B.ii: As part of the Memorandum of Understanding for the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (see Attachment 5), all of Idaho’s public colleges and universities signed the agreement noting participation and agreement ‘in implementation of policies, once the high school summative assessments are implemented that exempt from remedial courses and place into credit-bearing college courses any student who meets the Consortium-adopted achievement standard (as defined in the NIA) for each assessment and on any other placement requirement established by the IHE or IHE system.'”
So what the ID institutes of higher learning has promised is that Common Core graduates will get college credit immediately without taking remedial (non-credit bearing) courses. In other words, they will get college credit even if the courses amount to remedial learning. It is a dumbing-down of the state higher education system.
Among other statements on the CC, the waiver application made the following (at p. 22):
Idaho has been involved in the development of the Common Core State Standards since 2008. Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Thomas Luna served on the board of directors for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and was active in promoting a voluntary, state-led effort to develop the common core standards. Idaho adopted the Common Core State Standards in February 2011 with approval from the Idaho State Board of Education (“State Board”) and Idaho Legislature.
November 7, 2012: Idaho voters send a resounding NO on Students Come First or Props 1,2,3 (SB1108, 1110, 1184).
