Alabama § 16-6B-2.1 - Legislative Findings; Termination of Plans, Programs, Activities, Etc., Relative to the Common Core State Standards; Ceding Control Over Public Education Prohibited; Construction.

§ 16-6B-2.1. Legislative Findings; Termination of Plans, Programs, Activities, Etc., Relative to the Common Core State Standards; Ceding Control Over Public Education Prohibited; Construction.

(a) The Legislature finds that the State Board of Education, in the fall of 2013, voted to rescind the Memorandum of Agreement that involved the State of Alabama in adopting the Common Core State Standards, which ceded control of Alabama’s standards to entities other than the state and local educational agencies.

(b) The Legislature further finds that as part of the termination process, the 2017-2018 Alabama Final Consolidated State Plan superseded and terminated the flexibility waiver agreement with the United States Department of Education pertaining to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which includes the adoption of the Common Core State Standards.

(c) In order to codify the intent of the State Board of Education, the State of Alabama hereby terminates all plans, programs, activities, efforts, and expenditures relative to the implementation of the educational initiative commonly referred to as the Common Core State Standards.

(d) The Legislature further prohibits the adoption or implementation of any national standards or variations of national standards from any source that cede control of Alabama educational standards in any manner.

(e) The state shall retain sole control over the development, establishment, and revision of K-12 course of study standards.

(f) No education entity or any state official shall join any consortium or any other organization when participation in that consortium or organization would cede any measure of control over any aspect of Alabama public education to any such entity.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect, prohibit, or inhibit the use of any of the following tools, standards, or certifications in the public K-12 schools, any college entrance examination, workforce skills assessment or examination, advanced placement course, career technical credential, national board certification, academic language therapy certification, Praxis or other core academic skills for educators test, armed service vocational aptitude test, or International Baccalaureate standard.