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HIGH ACHIEVEMENT NEW YORK CONTACT: John Collins

PRESS RELEASE (212) 681-1380
October 28, 2014



NEW ANALYSIS: Common Core Repeal May Risk
New York State Up to $280 Million

Despite political rhetoric, repeal would return New York teachers and students to square one
NEW YORK, NY The repeal of Common Core standards could cost New York State $280 million
not including the millions in lost investments into teacher professional development and
curriculum development and mean the return to lower education standards that left a
majority of kids unprepared for college or careers, a new analysis released today by High
Achievement New York found (attached below).
The new analysis, called Back to Square One: What New Yorks Kids Lose in Common Core
Repeal, compiled and reviewed Race to the Top budget documents as well as statewide
exam and polling results over the last five years. While the document acknowledges initial
problems with the implementation, it also cites recent increasing statewide math and reading
scores as key benefits that would also be lost in a repeal of the new program.
Specifically, the analysis found that, if Common Core is repealed, New York State could be at
risk of having to return up to $280 million of the $700 million the Federal Government granted
the state as part of its Race to the Top initiative. The forfeited resources could place New
York on the path of other states, such as Oklahoma, where many schools will be labeled as
failing because the state has reverted to lower standards.
The analysis reiterated that, despite the rhetoric, the Common Core standards were developed
with local teachers and parents, and its implementation relies on local control by educators,
principals, superintendents and school boards.

This report documents what many of us have been saying for years: while the implementation
was uneven, promoting high standards and investing in the professional development of our
educators is critical to moving our schools forward, said John Ravitz, Executive Vice President
of the Business Council of Westchester. Even though it may be politically easy to blame
others, we cannot turn our backs on a program that prepares students for successful post-
school lives.

Political calls to repeal Common Core arent just irresponsible words, they could actually cost
New York State residents hundreds of millions of dollars and return students to the failed
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policies of the past. Its a lose-lose position that all of us educators, parents, students, and
business and community leaders must resist, said Jenny Sedlis, Executive Director of
StudentsFirstNY.

While there is great compassion for any parent or child who struggles during this time of
reform, there are many students who are finding success in classrooms where Common Core is
being effectively implemented. It would be a grave mistake, at the cost of our students'
education, if we went back to standards that foster mediocrity at best, said Kim Hardwick,
Principal of Clayton Huey Elementary School. We must continue to focus on the progress that
is being made, and perhaps put more resources into assisting local leaderships in making better
decisions regarding their implementation of the reforms.

Kids are diving deeper collaboratively. In the real world colleagues work together and our
youngest children are learning how to do this effectively with these standards, said Emily
Peterson, a teacher at East Moriches Elementary School. My students have learned and use
norms of collaboration. These include but are not limited to probing, putting ideas on the table
and pausing. It has transformed my learning space from an independent one to a vivacious
collegial one.

OTHER KEY FINDINGS OF NEW COMMON CORE REPORT
Repealing Common Core would put NY back at square one 25% of NY students did not
graduate from HS on time, 27% needed remedial classes in college, and 63% did not achieve
college level readiness upon graduation.
There are no new standards to replace Common Core, so a repeal means returning to a pre-
standards education status quo and multiple years to develop new standards.
After an uneven rollout, the standards are starting to show success, with 66% of NY State
teachers saying they are enthusiastic about the implementation of Common Core, and test
scores improving 5 percentage points (35.8% proficient from 31.2% in 2013) in math and
holding steady in reading this year.
Nearly 70% of NY State teachers think Common Core will have a positive impact on their
students. Only 3% believe it will have a negative impact.
By 2020, nearly 70% of jobs in NY State will require a college degree, which the Common
Core is designed to prepare students for.
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About High Achievement New York
High Achievement New York provides New York parents, teachers, and business and
community leaders with an organized platform to support the Common Core as a way to ensure
our children are receiving high quality college and career level education, and information on
what the new standards will mean for students, schools and the future of New York State. It will
seek to provide community and educator driven solutions to issues that arise as Common Core
is integrated into local schools. Members include:
Albany Colonie Chamber of Commerce
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America Achieves
American Association of University Women
Association for a Better New York
Buffalo ReformEd
Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Buffalo Urban League
Business Council of New York State
Business Council of Westchester
Center for American Progress
National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families
Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce
Council For a Strong America
Educators 4 Excellence
Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier
National Council of La Raza
New York Urban League
Otsego County Chamber of Commerce
Partnership for Inner-City Education
Parent Power Project Rochester
Printing Industries Alliance
Queens Chamber of Commerce
StudentsFirstNY
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce
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BACK TO SQUARE ONE: WHAT NEW YORKS KIDS LOSE
IN COMMON CORE REPEAL
Rolling out entirely new higher standards for education across the state has been challenging,
which has led some to call for its total repeal as a way to score political points.
This analysis replaces the political rhetoric with an effort to highlight why Common Core is
needed in New York and what would be lost if it were to be repealed.
Key Findings:
NY would risk losing up to $280 Million of the $700 million it received in federal funding
as part of the Race to the Top program.
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There are no new standards to replace Common Core, so a repeal means a return to a
the pre-2010 education status quo, where 25% of NY students did not graduate from HS
on time,
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27% needed remedial classes in college,
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and 63% graduated not prepared for
college or careers.
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A repeal of Common Core would greatly increase the number of schools around the
State at risk of being labeled failing by the U.S. Department of Education.
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If New York were to abandon Common Core, a whole new set of standards would have
to be developed a process that could take years.
The Common Core standards were developed with local teachers and parents, and its
implementation relies on local control by educators, principals, superintendents and
school boards.

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As of July 2014, New York had $283.1 million in unspent Race to the Top grant funds. Some or all of these funds
would be at risk if the state does not follow through on its plan to fully implement Common Core, the
implementation of Common Core being one of the approved spending conduits of the grant.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/07/24/37rtt-cash.h33.html. See also, New Yorks Race to the Top
application, http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/application/, and New Yorks Race to the Top Annual Performance Report:
https://www.rtt-apr.us/state/new-york/2012-2013/intro.
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Graduation rates: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/20140623/home.html
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Remediation rates: http://www.businessforcore.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/State-Data.pdf
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College- and career-readiness designations:
http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2014/June2014/PerformanceStandardsCommonCore.pdf
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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/education/oklahoma-common-core-no-child-left-behind.html?_r=0
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After an uneven rollout, the standards are starting to show success, with 66% of NY
State teachers saying they are enthusiastic about the implementation of Common Core.
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Test scores improved 5 percentage points in math rising to 35.8% proficiency from
31.2% in 2013 and held steady in reading this year
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.
Nearly 70% of NY State teachers think Common Core will have a positive impact on their
students. Only 3% believe it will have a negative impact.
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By 2020, nearly 70% of jobs in NY State will require a college degree, which the Common
Core is designed to prepare students for.
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Rhetoric Vs. Reality: What Would Replace Common Core
Proponents of repeal never provide an alternative. They only vow to replace Common Core
with better standards and curriculum developed by New York educators, with feedback and
input from local teachers and parents, and greater control at the district level.
This describes the very process used by local educators to develop the Common Core in the first
place.

First, local educators played a critical role in developing the Common Core standards. The
process relied on the input and insight of teachers and standards experts from across the
country. Teachers from New York as well as other states gave regular feedback on drafts of the
standards, brought together by leading teachers groups the National Education Association,
American Federation of Teachers, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and National
Council of Teachers of English.

Second, parents also contributed significantly to the development of the Common Core; nearly
10,000 comments on the standards were received during two public comment periods from
teachers, parents, school administrators, and other citizens concerned with education policy.
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Third, Common Core relies on local control. Common Core simply provides a set of educational
standards for states, developed by organizations that represent those states, not the federal
government. Contrary to popular belief, it does not dictate curricula, lesson plans, programs, or
the textbooks used by teachers in class. Local educators, principals, superintendents and school
boards continue to make those decisions.
After Initial Rollout Challenges, Common Core Starting to Succeed:
Three years into the Common Core, teachers are noticing a difference in the students level and
quality of thinking in their classrooms. Teachers are surveyed regularly on their experience
with Common Core to monitor these sorts of changes and gauge what more can be done to
ensure it is successful.

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2014 Survey of New York teachers: http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/ny-2.htm
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Common Core-aligned test scores increase: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/20140623/home.html
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2014 Survey of New York teachers: http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/ny-2.htm
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Analysis of future job market: http://www.businessforcore.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/State-Data.pdf
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Common Core Public Feedback: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/k-12-feedback-summary.pdf
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Initial negative feedback focused on problems with implementationnot enough professional
development, quality curricula or basic direction from principals.

But already this year, there is a much different storyone centered on learning and not on
process. Recent feedback from a third grade teacher sums this progress well:

The kids have taken ownership, she says. Not only are they citing textual evidence which is
one of the heavy emphases of Common Core they are also debating, and theyre analyzing
what theyre reading more. These are higher-level texts. In past years, kids werent able do
that, and Im just so proud that theyre able do that now.
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And the results are demonstrating success. According to a survey of more than 1,200 teachers
in New York State, two-thirds say they are enthusiastic about the implementation of Common
Core.
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Moreover, state achievement test scores are moving in the right direction.
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Specifics: What Would New York Lose in a Common Core Repeal
1. Loss of federal dollars: $280 million in Race to the Top funds at risk
a. In 2010, NY received approximately $700 million as part of the U.S. Department
of Educations Race to the Top grant competition. The state has distributed (or
plans to distribute) nearly all of the funds to local districts and schools, whose
educators are on the ground implementing new Common Core standards and
aligned assessments.
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b. Race to the Top funds are contingent on NY fully implementing college- and
career-ready standards in all grades. Institutions of higher education, the U.S.
Department of Education and others have certified the Common Core as having
college- and career-ready standards. Removing the Common Core leaves NY
without acceptable academic standards and puts Race to the Top funds at risk.
c. If NY abandons Common Core, the remainder of these funds, approximately
$280 million, is at risk of being lost instead of going towards supporting
educators and schools.
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Educators 4 Excellence: http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/10/16/view-common-core-
best-new-york/17191793/
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2014 Survey of New York teachers: http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/ny-2.htm
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Common Core-aligned test scores increase: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/20140623/home.html
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http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/sow-letters/new-york.pdf
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As of July 2014, New York had $283.1 million in unspent Race to the Top grant funds. Some or all of these funds
would be at risk if the state does not follow through on its plan to fully implement Common Core, the
implementation of Common Core being one of approved spending conduits of the grant.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/07/24/37rtt-cash.h33.html. See also, New Yorks Race to the Top
application, http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/application/ and New Yorks Race to the Top Annual Performance Report:
https://www.rtt-apr.us/state/new-york/2012-2013/intro.
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2. Loss of Progress: Before Common Core, 25% of New York students didnt graduate from
High School on time, while 63% graduating were not prepared for college or careers.
a. Only 75% of NY students who started high school in 2009 graduated four years
later. The graduation rates for students of color (60% for black and 59% for
Hispanic students compared to 87% for white students), students from low-
income households (64%) and English language learners (31%) are much lower.
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b. Though some of these students likely took some courses aligned to the Common
Core, the class of 2013 is the final group to graduate before full implementation
of the Common Core began in all NY public schools during the 2013-14 SY.
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c. Based on results of the first year of Common Core-aligned Regents exams, a
baseline of 37% of students are graduating ready for college or careers.
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Grade
12 NAEP data support these findingslisting 38% as college- and career-ready in
reading and 39% in math.
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d. A student completing high school by passing courses and exams aligned to NYs
previous standards is not equivalent to a student being ready for what comes
next in college or a well-paying career. The current graduation and readiness
data are evidence that NYs students and educators need higher standards like
the Common Core to truly prepare students to be successful in all their future
endeavors.
3. Risking multiple schools labeled failing and the loss of much-needed flexibility
afforded by federal waiver
a. The promise of higher standards in Common Core affords schools the privilege of
setting more attainable goals while they prepare their students for more
strenuous aims, under an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
waiver, also known as No Child Left Behind. This same privilege is not granted
to institutions with lower standards, which exposes them to greater risk of being
deemed failing by the U.S. Department of Education, putting these schools in
jeopardy of being closed or having rigid restructurings imposed.
b. Currently, New York schools enjoy the flexibility under its ESEA waiver to set
more attainable goals for student proficiency in Math and English Language Arts,
and to continue to support struggling schools without forcing them to close or
restructure based on rigid timelines. One reason NY has this flexibility is because
it has promised to implement more rigorous college and career ready
standards in the future.

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http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/20140623/home.html
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Regents exams aligned to Common Core beginning in 2013-14 also.
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This is based on an exam score that correlates with success in first-year college courses.
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http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2014/June2014/PerformanceStandardsCommonCore.pdf
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c. However, abandoning Common Core means the loss of this flexibility, increasing
the likelihood that many of our regional schools will be labeled failing, as
happened in Oklahoma. Oklahoma had its ESEA waiver revoked by the U.S.
Department of Education when it dropped Common Core in favor of its previous
lower standards, which do not prepare students for success in college and
careers. Oklahomas schools and districts will return to the requirements and
consequences of No Child Left Behind, and, consequently, most schools in the
state are likely to be labeled failing.
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4. Revoking Common Core would mean the loss of hard won teacher support
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a. 69% of New York State teachers believe the standards will have a positive impact
on students ability to think critically and use reasoning skills. Only 3% believe
the Common Core State Standards will have a negative impact.
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b. At the same time, 77% of teachers in NY believe implementing the standards is
or will be challenging. 81% say that the Common Core has required or will
require that they make changes to their teaching practice, and while this is
challenging, it is also worthwhile if both teachers and students benefit from new,
more rigorous instructional techniques and a renewed focus on success.
c. 89% of NY teachers have participated in professional development for the
Common Core, including practice with using aligned instructional materials
and/or tools in their classroom. Over half (52%) have participated in a standards
alignment or implementation committee either locally or at the state level.
d. Teachers understand the hard work it has taken to implement the Common Core
and they deserve our supportthrough better professional development,
additional aligned curricular materials and more time to make the transition to
new tests and accountability systems. They do not deserve to be thrown into a
state of confusion about what standards they should teach to or whether those
standards will actually help ensure students are successful in both college and
their careers.
5. Loss of momentum and wasted resources
a. By 2020, 69% of NY jobs will require a degree beyond high school.
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In 2012,
more than a quarter (27%) of NY students who went on to college needed
remedial courses,
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which cost those students extra money and time they could
have spent on credit-bearing courses if they were more prepared coming out of
high school. Students and teachers deserve the right to follow through with the

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/education/oklahoma-common-core-no-child-left-behind.html?_r=0
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http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/ny-2.htm
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http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/ny-2.htm
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http://www.businessforcore.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/State-Data.pdf
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http://www.businessforcore.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/State-Data.pdf
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investment that has been made to learn and teach according to a set of
standards that will prepare them for success in college and careers.
b. NY districts and schools invested heavily to support educators in the transition to
higher Common Core standards over the last four years - updating their
instructional materials, providing professional development for teachers and
improving assessments. Abandoning the Common Core will waste those
resources and require additional investments to design and implement
something new that would also likely face implementation challenges.
Conclusion: Move NY Forward, Not Backward
The Common Core is showing results in higher standards and improved learning in classrooms.
The rollout has not been perfect by any means, and as a result too many parents and educators
have struggled with its implementation. But it is improving and showing results. Those who call
for repealing Common Core now are doing so to gain a perceived political advantage and not
for the good of the schools. In the end, repeal would mean no high standards across the state,
the potential loss of hundreds of millions in federal dollars, and a return to square one for
teachers, parents, administrators, school boards and kids across the state who have invested
time, resources and commitment to higher standards and better education.