The State Board of Education has adopted a revised version of academic standards for the state’s schools.
Called the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, the revised grade-by-grade expectations for math and language arts replace the Common Core State Standards. The new set is slightly revised from Common Core.
“It won’t be substantially different,” State Board of Education President Mark Biedron said in published reports. “Yes, there were some changes, but there were not major changes.”
State board members said the standards were reviewed to make sure they were clear and age-appropriate. The state will maintain more than 80 percent of the 1,427 math and language arts standards that make up Common Core, according to the state. About 230 standards will be modified.
Some of those changes will result in moving a standard from one grade level to another. Others involve minor changes to the wording of a standard to clarify or enhance it.
The new standards will go into effect in New Jersey schools beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.
NJSBA has long embraced the idea of standards-based education.
New Jersey in 2010 was among the first of more than 40 states to adopt and implement the Common Core. Developed by the National Governors Association, the Common Core standards place a greater emphasis on a student’s analytical skills and emphasize problem-solving and critical thinking.
Last May Gov. Chris Christie announced plans to review the Common Core State Standards.