Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Numeracy Standards topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State board to adopt temporary numeracy standards, outlines multi‑year test plan
Summary
The State Board of Education discussed adopting emergency numeracy standards in June, creating four required college courses for elementary numeracy coaching and launching an RFP to develop a new Foundations of Mathematics assessment with a field test targeted for 2025–26.
The Alabama State Board of Education’s work session Tuesday moved to set a fast timetable for implementing the Numeracy Act, recommending an emergency adoption of proposed standards in June and directing staff to begin work on a vendor procurement for a new Foundations of Mathematics assessment.
Board staff said the department has drafted rules that would establish four postbaccalaureate courses tied to the law and a new set of standards that would underpin a vendor‑built test. Doctor Anderson, a department presenter, summarized the course framework: “The 4 courses are k 2 content in pedagogy, 3 5 content in pedagogy, coaching principles, and literacy and mathematics education.”
Board members and staff framed the June emergency rule as a way to meet timelines set by the Numeracy Act and to give higher‑education preparers clear guidance before the fall term. Department staff advised that adopting an emergency rule would make the standards effective immediately for 120 days while a concurrent permanent‑rule process runs; final adoption would follow the public rulemaking timeline.
The presentation explained a two‑part regulatory task: first, define the four required courses and the coaching endorsement content; second, adopt numeric standards that will be used to build a new Foundations of Mathematics assessment. Staff noted that, unlike the Foundations of Reading test the state adopted earlier, there is no existing, widely used Foundations of Mathematics test and the department must issue an RFP to procure a vendor to develop one.
On timing, staff said standards adoption must come first because a test cannot be developed without them. Department staff told the board they expect to release the RFP soon after standards are adopted and that a realistic timeline would put vendor selection and contracting this year and the first field testing of items in the 2025–26 school year. One staff presenter said, “We would think we’d have responses by the end of ’24… I would say it would be this time next year before we would begin.”
Board members questioned the legal and practical implications of adopting an emergency rule. Staff reminded the board that an emergency rule becomes effective immediately and remains in force for 120 days; during that period the board may still accept public comment and make edits as it proceeds through the permanent‑rule process. Several board members said they would expect institutions to use the emergency rule as a basis for planning faculty, course checklists and timelines, while others asked for caution so institutions have time to hire faculty and redesign programs.
The board did not take a final vote during the meeting; presenters described the recommendation and implementation plan for the board’s consideration at a future public action meeting.
Ending: Department staff said they will circulate the proposed rule text publicly after the work session and intend to run the permanent rule process in parallel with an emergency adoption if the board directs staff to proceed. The board’s formal vote on rule adoption remains a later, recorded action.
