Stop the Common Core State Standards in NH

Here are the five bills aimed in different ways at ending the Common Core in New Hampshire.

HB 1508 terminating state involvement in the Common Core educational standards. Sponsors: (Prime)Lenette Peterson, Alfred Baldasaro, Pamela Tucker, Patrick Bick, Jeffrey Harris, David Murotake, Jane Cormier, Donald LeBrun, Jeanine Notter, William Infantine.

This is a one sentence bill that expresses the anti-Common Core sentiment but would not be implementable as written.

HB1432 delaying implementation of certain statewide assessments and relative to studying the feasibility of certain changes to the minimum standards for school approval.  Sponsors: (Prime)David Murotake. Ralph Boehm, Glenn Cordelli, John Kelley, Andy Sanborn.

This bill postpones the new Smarter Balanced assessment, currently scheduled for spring of 2015, until spring of 2016 and requires a study of educational impact, privacy and funding issues and hearings in each Executive Council District.  While there is no fiscal note attached, there would clearly result in substantial costs and uncertainties and suffers from many of the same vagueness issues HB 1508 (above) does.

HB 1397 establishing a committee to study whether the department of education is operating within its statutory authority. Sponsors: (Prime)Jane Cormier, J.R. Hoell, Glenn Cordelli, Joseph Pitre, Sam Cataldo

The bill itself says nothing of substance but the sponsors have been complaining that the NHDOE has established a department not authorized by statute (not true).  The bill establishes a Republican study committee to make the case that NHDOE disobeyed the law by promoting the Common Core in New Hampshire.

HB 1496 to disrupt administration of the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  Sponsor: J.R. Hoell

The bill is a collection of blog quotes from the conspiracy underground about what’s wrong with the Smarter Balanced test.

HB1239 -FN-L relative to implementation of college and career readiness standards.  Sponsors: (Prime))Glenn Cordelli, Ralph Boehm, J.R. Hoell, Jeffrey Harris, David Murotake, John Reagan, Sam Cataldo, Dick Marston.

The bill would establish a new process for adopting academic standards in New Hampshire, requiring benchmarking and implementation cost analysis.  It is a one page bill requiring the department of education to report on past and future cost of implementing the Common Core standards, do a cost and efficacy study of any new standards and, like HB 1452, hold hearings in each Executive Council district before adopting new standards.  (These Executive Council district hearings begin to sound like the new strategy to give opponents a platform.)

Student Data Privacy

The student data privacy issue is not directly related to the Common Core or the new Smarter Balanced test – it’s broader than that.  But it is clearly relevant.  Three bills will be filed to tighten New Hampshire’s already tight student data privacy statutes.  The first two are the most serious and are likely to get combined in committee.

HB1587 -FN-L relative to the collection and disclosure of pupil data. Sponsors: (Prime)Neal Kurk.

Rep. Kurk is working closely with NHDOE on the details of this bill and it is likely to be the basis of a significant tightening of student data privacy.

HB 1586 student and teacher information protection and privacy.  Sponsors: (Prime)Glenn Cordelli, Ralph Boehm, Patrick Bick, Mary Gorman, Dick Marston, Barbara Shaw, J.R. Hoell.

There are similarities with Rep. Kurk’s bill but Rep. Cordelli’s bill addresses a number of additional issues like biometric data, predictive modeling, teacher personally-identifiable data, and under what conditions and with whom data can be shared.

HB 1262 relative to student assessments. Sponsors: (Prime)J.R. Hoell, Glenn Cordelli.  This bill is essentially a collection of newspaper clips from organizations trying to worry parents about student data privacy.  Unlike the Kirk and Cordelli bills, there is no serious legislative work here.

Make assessment questions available after a test is conducted

Rep. Cordelli says his goal here is to make the Smarter Balanced test questions available as the NECAP questions are now.

HB1238 to provide access to assessment materials. Sponsors: (Prime)Glenn Cordelli, Ralph Boehm, Jeffrey Harris, J.R. Hoell, David Murotake, Dick Marston.  It is the policy of NHDOE to do this now.

Require the State to share the technology cost of implementing the Smarter Balanced test

Rep. White is vice-chair of the Conway School Board.  The district’s initial estimate of the cost of the technology upgrade needed to administer the Smarter Balanced test was $120,000 but, based on new information about the requirements, that estimate has been reduced to $90,000.  The district included $60,000 of that in its last year’s budget, leaving $30,000 for this year’s budget.  (The district could use the paper version of the test, if necessary.)

HB 1247  requiring the department of education to share costs of implementing statewide online assessment technology requirements. Sponsors: (Prime)Syndi White.

This is another one sentence bill that is more of a sentiment than actual legislation.