Jon Campbell

jcampbell1@gannett.com

ALBANY - New York's top education officials unveiled a plan Wednesday to revamp the state's take on the Common Core, the national education standards that have drawn the ire of some parents and prompted a testing boycott in the state.

The state Education Department's proposals would alter 60 percent of New York's English language arts standards and 55 percent of the math standards, according to Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.

But the major tenets of the Common Core — known as "anchor standards" — remain largely in tact, a move hailed by Common Core supporters who feared the state's proposals would make its benchmarks less rigorous.

The proposals will be open to public comment through Nov. 4.

► READ: Draft standards for English language arts

► READ: Draft standards for mathematics

► COMMENT on the proposals here

"The changes reflect what we heard from parents, teachers and administrators over the past year and in my travels across the state," Elia told reporters Wednesday. "Now we want to hear from even more educators and parents as well as stakeholders so we can develop the best learning standards to prepare New York's children for their futures."

The proposals, which were recommended by a pair of committees compiled of teachers and parents, were the results of a yearlong process to review the state's take on the Common Core standards, which have been implemented in more than 40 states.

Late last year, the state solicited public comment from parents, teachers and students about the standards, garnering responses from more than 10,500 people.

Revisions were recommended for every grade level, from prekindergarten through grade 12. The state released more than 50 documents outlining the changes, including line-by-line revisions of the standards in each grade level and for both subjects.

Many of the changes focus on consolidation.

Throughout the standards, state education officials are recommending merging and clarifying various benchmarks, particularly when it comes to reading.

Parents and teachers have complained that the current reading standards, in particular, are not grade-level appropriate.

Other changes include a stronger focus on increasing interaction between students in prekindergarten through second grade, a move Elia said is important as an instructional tool in the lower grades.

Elia said the state also plans on releasing a glossary of terms used in the standards, which parents can then use to better understand what the benchmarks are seeking.

The state Board of Regents could vote on the proposals as soon as early 2017, after the Education Department assesses comments from the public-comment period and makes any changes as a result.

But they wouldn't be implemented immediately: Elia said the state's tests wouldn't be based on the newly revised standards until the 2018-19 school year.

The proposed changes appear to have fallen short of the complete overhaul sought by some parent groups that have led a boycott of the state's standardized testing in grades 3-8.

Earlier this year, 22 percent of eligible students did not take the grade 3-8 exams, which was largely fueled by the opt-out movement.

But several education groups, including the New York State PTA, praised the proposals as a good start.

"We will continue to review changes, but the percentages of change and substance appears to be a great step forward," state PTA executive director Kyle Belokopitsky said in a statement.

High Achievement New York, a coalition of groups including various business organizations that support the Common Core, said it was "most important" that the proposals left the "vast majority of standards and the anchor standards themselves" in place.

Charles Dedrick, executive director of the state Council of School Superintendents, said it will be critical for the Education Department to avoid the type of "missteps" that hampered implementation of the Common Core.

"Schools and teachers will need time and support if the new standards are to benefit students as intended," he said.

New York's proposals comes after other states have undergone similar reviews of the Common Core.

Some states, including Florida, have opted to rename the standards after putting their stamp on them. Elia said a name change is likely in New York, but will ultimately be decided by the Regents.

How to comment

You can read the proposed standards and offer your comments at the state Education Department's website: www.nysed.gov/aimhighny