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Regents to begin review of Common Core recommendations

WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley

The State Board of Regents is expected to begin reviewing of some of the Common Core Task Force recommendations released last week. The board will meet in Albany Monday. WBFO's Focus on Education Reporter Eileen Buckley says one regent member has issues with some of the recommendations.

Regent Catherine Collins tells WBFO News she is not 100-percent pleased with the recommendations.  She is very concerned with a call for a four year moratorium tying teacher evaluations to student test scores. 

"It's still going to be done for the next four years and at the end of the four years I assume we go back to the same evaluation tool that we have had a problem with from the beginning and that is that the Common Core was not designed to evaluate teachers," said Collins.   

But Collins is pleased with recommendations for shorter and fewer standardized tests for students.  She is expecting to plunge into a great deal of work with the Regents Board and the state education commissioner as they review all 21 Common Core recommendations. 

"There's some good things that you know people have had an opportunity to look at, but right now, I need to really digest all the pieces of the 21 recommendations," stated Collins.

Credit WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley
Lafayette High School has a high rate of international students.

One of the recommendations specifically looks at testing issues for English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities.

Anne Botticelli is Chief Academic Officer for the Buffalo Public School District.

"So we're very happy that the task force has recognized that we need high standards for our students, but the flexibly to make instruction accessibly," said Botticelli. 

Many international students in the Buffalo School District struggle with language and this recommendation, if implemented, could mean a big boost for those students.

"We have a very high population of English Language Learners in the district, approximately 5,000 students, 40 percent of those are really entering at the two lowest levels and are not yet fluent in English," said Botticelli. 

Both Botticelli and Collins said it will probably take some time to conduct a review before there is implementation of these Common Core recommendations from the state Education Department.

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