More Common Core

Louisiana Releases Preliminary PARCC Scores. The Monroe (LA) News-Star (10/7) reports that the Louisiana Department of Education has released the preliminary average scores of this year’s PARCC testing, noting that Superintendent John White recently said that “the raw scores will show how many points a student earned, versus how many points were available.” The New Orleans Times-Picayune (10/8) also covers this story following on the News-Star’s report. Common Core Testing In Florida Faces Review. The AP (10/8, Fineout, Bustos) reports that high-stakes testing in Florida and associated school grading, championed by former Gov. Jeb Bush, “may be at risk of coming apart.” Noting that the testing is tied to the Common Core Standards, which are a lightning rod for conservatives, the AP reports that Bush “rarely talks about the program by its name” but “has not backed down on what is the core of Common Core — the conviction that states need to raise their school standards.” The article notes, however, that problems with Common Core testing in Florida have “created a large enough backlash that the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature agreed to spend nearly $600,000 to study whether the tests should continue.” Education Experts: Texas May Win Waiver Standoff With ED. The Austin (TX) American Statesman (10/8, Subscription Publication) reports that though Texas NCLB waiver is on “high-risk” status, over “a showdown between the state and federal government over teacher performance evaluations,” education experts say that Texas may win out because “leadership turnovers in Washington likely will slow any federal enforcement efforts.”