Schools need to fully implement the new standards by September 2020

The Board of Regents has adopted the Next Generation Learning Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics – guidelines which detail what students should
know and be able to do at each grade level; they do not require school districts to follow any specific curriculum.

These standards, adopted at the board’s September 11 meeting, will replace the controversial Common Core Learning Standards. They will be rolled out slowly over the next few years in order to provide adequate time for professional development and curriculum design.

The timeline for the roll out is as follows:

• 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years:
  The annual two-day assessments for ELA and math will
  continue to be based on the current (Common Core)
  standards; professional development for educators will
  be offered on Next Generation Learning Standards.
• September 2020: All schools will be required to fully
  implement the Next Generation Standards in all classroom
  instruction.
• Spring 2021: The state will release new annual assessments that measure student achievement on the Next Generation Standards. Tests will no longer be based on the Common Core standards.

The new learning standards clarify vague and/or confusing
wording that appeared in the Common Core Learning
Standards and are intended to address criticisms that the
previous (Common Core) standards were not appropriate
for the youngest students, English language learners
and students with disabilities.

The new standards are the result of a two-year collaborative
revision process, during which more than 130 teachers, administrators, parents and others reviewed each (Common Core) standard and suggested modifications based on their own experiences.