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DFLers to come up with their own grad standards
by Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio
March 3, 2003

Gov. Pawlenty and Judy Schaubach, president of Education Minnesota, read Dr. Seuss to school children in St. Paul. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

The Senate Education Committee chair is proposing a bill that would repeal the Profile of Learning graduation standards and replace it with standards created by several national teacher organizations. It's the first time Senate DFLers have proposed legislation that would repeal the controversial show-what-you-know graduation standards. The House has passed a bill that would repeal the Profile and replace it with an undefined set of standards.

St. Paul, Minn. — Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, says his bill differs from legislation that passed the House last month. The House bill would replace the profile with an as-yet-undefined set of standards to be created by the education commissioner and a statewide task force.

Kelley says his bill would replace the Profile with standards created by groups like the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Center for History in the Schools. Kelley says his bill would create a strong set of standards and still give teachers flexibility in how their students meet statewide goals.

"These national groups are pretty careful to keep it at the level of standards, not at the level of curriculum," says Kelley. "A decription of what kids should know and can do -- not how they should be taught. I think that's an appropriate distinction to make."

Kelley says the bill would also give the Legislature more oversight over the implementation of the new standards.

	Ready to scrap the Profile

The bill would require new math and reading standards for the 2004-2005 school year. It would implement standards for other subjects over time. Kelley says his bill would prepare Minnesota for federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind law.

"We'll be moving more toward statewide tests consistent with the requirements of No Child Left Behind, to establish some sense of statewide accountability," says Kelley. "And then we will be leaving more flexibility to districts and teachers to assess performance in the classroom without an expectation of reporting back to the state."

The Senate is following the lead of the Minnesota House and the Pawlenty administration by scrapping the Profile. Critics say it's too vague and isn't rigorous enough. Teachers and school administrators say it also requires too much paperwork.

Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke is working with a statewide task force to create math and reading standards for the next school year. Education Department spokesman Bill Walsh says Yecke would like to have the proposal ready by the end of the month.

Walsh says he's encouraged that a leading Senate DFLer wants to scrap the Profile. Walsh says, however, that the task force may develop different standards than Kelley is proposing.

"We have to have higher achievement and improve. We need to have Minnesota improve and not be stagnant. The national standards is what the Profile is based on, and has caused Minnesota to stagnant on our test scores and on our achievement," says Walsh.

Gov. Pawlenty says he's also encouraged that Kelley is introducing a bill that would repeal the Profile. He says it's a good first step. Pawlenty also says he's willing to work with Senate DFLers as both the House and Senate begin debate over what the state's new standards should look like.

"We don't have all the answers. We're going to put our proposal out there, and that's the beauty of this legislative process. You float ideas and you improve upon it and you learn new things. We don't have our feet in cement. We want to get things done and we welcome Senator Kelley's proposal," says Pawlenty.

Rep. Barb Sykora, R-Excelsior, who chairs the House Education Policy Committee, says she's pleased that the Senate has a plan to scrap the Profile. She says the Senate understands that the public wants lawmakers to get rid of the Profile, so they want to be a part of the discussion.

"They're just trying to put their oar in and do their thing. We have, of course, passed ours earlier in the hopes that the Senate would agree to do the commissioner's piece," she says.

Sykora says the House bill allows the House Education Policy Committee to reject any proposals that the commissioner and task force recommend. She says that will give the Legislature the necessary oversight to make sure the standards are appropriate.

Sen. Kelley says he hopes to hold hearings on his bill in the second half of March.

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