Common Core public hearing in Idaho Falls Tuesday

The public can weigh in Tuesday night as the State Board of Education holds public hearings on education-related rules, including the Idaho content standards.

State officials worked with the National Governor’s Association and other states in 2009 to develop common core content standards in English language arts and mathematics. In 2010, Idaho adopted the content standards, which were approved by the legislature the following year.

Those standards are re-evaluated on a rotating basis. English and math were opened for a comprehensive statewide review in 2015-16 and modified standards were approved in 2017.

State Board Chief Planning and Policy Officer, Tracie Bent said, “The purpose of the content standards is to set minimum levels for student progress by grade at the primary and secondary level. These minimum content standards are necessary to meet the constitutional requirement to maintain a “uniform and thorough system” of public schools. The method for meeting the standards is the curriculum that is chosen by each school district and charter school. Curriculum is set at the local level by each school district.”

Idaho has content standards in 13 categories. Eight of them are identified as “core” content areas.

You can learn more about them and the hearing process here.

Tonight’s hearing is set from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at College of Eastern Idaho, Health Education Building (6), Room 150/152, in Idaho Falls.