1 HB387
2 217503-1
3 By Representative Fincher
4 RFD: Education Policy
5 First Read: 22-FEB-22
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8 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, the State Board of
9 Education is required to establish curriculum
10 standards for all K-12 public schools in Alabama.
11 This bill would terminate the use of the
12 curriculum standards commonly known as the Common
13 Core State Standards, the Alabama College and
14 Career Ready Standards, and any variant of the
15 Common Core State Standards.
16 This bill would require the State Board of
17 Education to replace the Common Core State
18 Standards for Math and English Language Arts with
19 the courses of study for Math and English Language
20 Arts in place immediately prior to implementation
21 of the Common Core State Standards.
22 This bill would require the State Board of
23 Education to update the pre-Common Core State
24 Standards, to be known as the Alabama Course of
25 Study Standards, to be used in all K-12 public
26 schools starting with the 2023-2024 school year.
Page 1 1 This bill would also prohibit the State
2 Board of Education from adopting or implementing
3 any other national standards from any source.
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5 A BILL
6 TO BE ENTITLED
7 AN ACT
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9 Relating to public education; to terminate the use
10 of the Common Core State Standards and the Alabama College and
11 Career Ready Standards in K-12 public schools; to require the
12 State Board of Education to replace the Common Core State
13 Standards for Math and English Language Arts with the courses
14 of study for Math and English Language Arts in place
15 immediately prior to implementation of the Common Core State
16 Standards and update these standards in public schools for the
17 2023-2024 school year; to prohibit the State Board of
18 Education from adopting or implementing any other national
19 standards from any source or requiring the use of any
20 assessments aligned with national standards.
21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
22 Section 1. (a) The Legislature finds that the State
23 Board of Education, in the fall of 2013, voted to rescind the
24 Memorandum of Agreement that involved the State of Alabama in
25 adopting the Common Core State Standards, which ceded control
26 of Alabama's standards to entities other than the state and
27 local educational agencies, and declared that the collection
Page 2 1 of personal data concerning students of Alabama public schools
2 would not be collected or compiled.
3 (b) In order to codify the intent of the board, the
4 State of Alabama hereby terminates all plans, programs,
5 activities, efforts, and expenditures relative to the
6 implementation of the educational initiative commonly referred
7 to as the Common Core State Standards, or any derivative or
8 permutation thereof, including, but not limited to, the
9 Alabama College and Career Ready Standards that have been
10 implemented or may be implemented by the board, the Alabama
11 State Department of Education, or its employees, including any
12 assessments, data collection, and instructions based on or
13 involving any such standard or protocol.
14 (c) As part of the termination process, the
15 Legislature directs the State Superintendant of Education, the
16 State Board of Education, and any other public education
17 authority to terminate the flexibility waiver agreement with
18 the United States Department of Education pertaining to the
19 federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which includes
20 the adoption of the Common Core State Standards which were
21 incorporated into the Alabama College and Career Ready
22 Standards, and pertaining to other areas of federal control of
23 Alabama's educational process.
24 (d) As part of the transition process to updated
25 Alabama curriculum standards, the board shall immediately
26 begin to replace the current Common Core State Standards
27 included in the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards and
Page 3 1 the New Math Standards, known as the Alabama Courses of Study
2 in Math and English Language Arts, with the courses of study
3 for Math in place until May 2011, and for English Language
4 Arts in place until May 2012, both of which were used in
5 classrooms immediately prior to implementation of the Common
6 Core State Standards. These standards shall be known as the
7 Alabama Course of Study Standards and shall remain in effect
8 pending the adoption of new or updated standards by the board
9 pursuant to subsection (e).
10 (e) The Alabama Course of Study Standards or updated
11 standards for Math and English Language Arts shall be
12 implemented at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
13 (f) The Legislature further prohibits the adoption
14 or implementation of any national standards or variations of
15 national standards from any source that cede control of
16 Alabama educational standards in any manner, including, but
17 not limited to, the Next Generation Science Standards, History
18 Standards, Social Studies Standards, or Sexuality Standards.
19 (g) The state shall retain sole control over the
20 development, establishment, and revision of K-12 course of
21 study standards.
22 (h) No education entity or any state official shall
23 join any consortium or any other organization when
24 participation in that consortium or organization would cede
25 any measure of control over any aspect of Alabama public
26 education to any such entity.
Page 4 1 (i) Any resident of the State of Alabama shall have
2 standing in the courts of Alabama to bring suit to ensure the
3 enforcement of this act.
4 Section 2. This act shall become effective
5 immediately following its passage and approval by the
6 Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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