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School standards debate far from over
by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio
March 7, 2003

Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke says the citizens committee's proposed standards are measurable and set specific goals or outcomes. (MPR Photo/Tim Pugmire)

A citizens committee will present its recommendations next week for new state academic standards in reading and math. State education commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke and two key legislative leaders updated a metro area business group on efforts to replace the Profile of Learning with a simpler approach to what students must learn.

St. Louis Park, Minn. — As a former teacher, Cheri Pierson Yecke views the Profile of Learning debate like a history lesson. The state's education commissioner says the move to repeal the profile, and replace it with back to basics academic standards, is similar to when the nation's founding fathers replaced the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution. "In their wisdom they saw that as much as they might want to preserve what they had, it was time to set it aside and move on," Yecke said.

At the direction of her boss, Gov. Pawlenty, Yecke has been moving quickly to set aside the profile system and its show-what-you-know approach to learning. Just three weeks ago, she named a panel of 76 people to help decide what specific knowledge students should learn in reading and math at each grade level. The committee of teachers, school administrators, parents and business leaders wrapped up its draft recommendations this week. Yecke says the proposed standards are measurable and set specific goals or outcomes.

"We're not going to determine the path," Yecke said. "The teachers will determine the path as to how to get to the goals, but the final goal is the set of standards. And whether the teacher chooses to use integrated math or a more traditional approach, that is a teacher's or the school board's decision. What we're saying is these are the principles, these are the expectations. At the end of the day, this is what we expect kids to learn, know and be able to do."

Yecke is following a fast track procedure outlined in legislation passed last month in the Minnesota House. The bill repealed the Profile of Learning and directed the commissioner to develop replacement standards in core subject areas. Math and reading must be ready for the next school year. Other subjects will come later.

	Rep. Barb Sykora, R-Excelsior

Rep. Barb Sykora, R-Excelsior, chairwoman of the House Education Policy Committee, told the group the new standards must be clear, concise, challenging and easy to understand.

"I can't tell you how many parents I heard from that were always totally confused, how many students that were completely frustrated, because they couldn't take maybe a sequence of the classes they wanted because there was always some other little standards that they had to squeeze in before they could graduate," Sykora said.

	Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins

Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, chairman of the Senate Education Policy Committee, says he's taking a different angle on the same problem. Kelley claims lawmakers, in their rush to eliminate the profile, have largely ignored the work done over a year ago to try to address the system's problems. He says that committee of educators proposed changes to the state's graduation standards, after considerably longer discussions.

"That revision was finished in February 2002," Kelley said. "But hardly anybody knows about it because we've decided we're going to totally reject the lessons learned in Minnesota, and I don't think that's a wise thing to do."

Kelley says the proposed standards could prove contentious if they move too far away from the current system. He says that would mean greater risks and costs to school districts.

Commissioner Yecke and members of the citizens panel will present the proposed standards Tuesday to members of the House and Senate committees. A series of public hearings is planned throughout the state.

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