COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

New York Common Core Opponents Leak Test Images.

The Huffington Post (4/24, Klein) reports that photos of New York’s Common Core English language arts test were leaked via a Facebook group which “has a history of posting content that is critical of” the Common Core. The Post reports that it is not clear who ran the page, which has been deleted. The Post reports that a spokesperson for the state Department of Education would not confirm that an investigation is taking place, but “noted that this means the state will have to use taxpayer money to design new questions for future exams.”

The New York Post (4/23) reports that dozens of photos of the test began showing up on the page Wednesday morning, saying that “education experts” say the “saboteur” was acting in concert with the state’s opt-out movement. The Post notes that the images only showed up after testing was complete, adding that “parent activists” have said that the state should “release the test on its own.”

Catherine Gewertz also covers this story at the Education Week (4/24) “State EdWatch” blog, following heavily on the Post’s coverage.

New York City Test Opponents Target Treatment Of Students.

The New York Times (4/24, Harris, Subscription Publication) reports that with a “growing number of children sitting out” state tests in New York this year, “the energies of the so-called opt-out movement are now focusing not only on guaranteeing the ability of students to refuse the tests but also on what those students are allowed to do during the exams.” They are targeting districts “that require students to remain quietly in their classrooms and do nothing.”

Poll: Many California Parents Unaware Of Common Core Testing.

The Los Angeles Times (4/24, Watanabe) reports that according to a new poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California, some 55% of parents surveyed “had never heard of” the state’s new Common Core testing, and though 66% “had heard of Common Core, nearly as many said they had received insufficient information about” the standards.

Mississippi Governor Vetoes Anti-Common Core Bill.

The AP (4/24, Pettus) reports that Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has vetoed an anti-Common Core bill, saying that “he’s ‘firmly committed to ending Common Core in Mississippi,’” but that the bill will not achieve this end. The AP notes that the bill would have established “a 15-member commission that could recommend small or large changes in standards of what students should learn in public schools.”

New Jersey Teachers Union Urges State Chief Not To Punish Schools For Opt-Outs.

The New Jersey Local News (4/24) reports that the New Jersey Education Association is calling on state Commissioner David Hespe “to reconsider his statement Wednesday that state funding could possibly be withheld from schools with especially high opt-out rates on the PARCC assessments.” The piece notes that both ED and state officials have warned that schools that don’t have at least 95% of students take the tests could lose Title I funding. The piece notes that Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently said that ED “is obligated to intervene if states don’t respond to high opt-out rates,” and notes that Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Deborah Delisle said last month that ED “‘may look at something other than Title I’ if the schools with high opt-out rates are in affluent communities.”