History and Timeline

WA State and the Common Core State Standards Official Commitments and Involvement Timeline and References
2009 May	Governor Christine Gregoire and Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn sign a Common Core Standards Memorandum of Agreement with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.
2009 November	The National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announce the Common Core State Standards Initiative K-12 Standards Development Work Teams (writers) and Feedback Groups.
2010 March 10	The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) releases the first and only public draft of the K-12 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for ELA and Mathematics.
2010 March 11	Legislature passes Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6696 Regarding education reform.  This was a lengthy education bill initiating many reform measures.  It authorized the superintendent of public instruction to provisionally adopt a common set of standards developed by a multistate consortium.
2010 March 29	Governor Gregoire signed Engrossed Second Substitute Bill 6696.  Read ESSB 6696.
2010 May	Commitment as a Governing State in the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) signed by Governor Christine Gregoire on June 9, 2010, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn on May 21, 2010,  and State Board of Education Chair Jeffrey Vince on May 26. 2310.  This committed WA state to adopt the CCSS no later than December 31, 2011.
2010 June 1	Washington’s Race to the Top (RTTT) grant fund application submitted (phase 2) under the signatures of Governor Christine Gregoire, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn, State Board of Education Chair Jeffrey Vince, and State Attorney General Robert McKenna.  Applications require states to commit to adopt a common set of K-12 standards by August 2, 2010.  WA committed in the application to adopt and implement the Common Core State Standards.
2010 June 2	Final version of the Common Core State Standards for K-12 ELA and Mathematics released.
2010 June	Race to the Top Fund Assessment Program Comprehensive Assessment Systems Grant Application Assurances signed by Governor Christine Gregoire on June 6, 2010, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn on June 10, 2010,  and State Board of Education Chair Jeffrey Vince on June 15, 2010.  Under these signatures WA State submitted the funding application as the lead state for the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium and commits to being the project manager and fiscal agent.
2010 July 19	Superintendent Dorn provisionally adopts Common Core State Standards.
2010 August	OSPI conducts their own analyses and releases the Hanover Research’s comprehensive analyses comparing the CCSS with current WA state standard.  See Compare & Review with Washington State Standards and Hanover’s Alignment Analysis: Common Core and Washington State Mathematics Standards and Alignment Analysis: Common Core and Washington State Reading, Writing and Communications Grade Level Expectations.
2010 Sept. 2	U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan Announces RTTT grant awarded to SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC).  The grant award was approximately $160 million.
2010 October	OSPI conducted information forums about the CCSS in Yakima, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Shoreline.
2011 January 7	Cooperative Agreement Between the U.S. Department of Education and the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium and the State of Washington (fiscal agent).
2011 Feb. 1	The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics:  Analysis and Recommendations Report to the Legislature.  Report submitted to legislature by Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn as required by ESSB 6696.  The report shows estimated five year implementation costs of $182.6 million, not including assessments or technology.  Local school district will be responsible for 90.6% of the cost.
2011 February 4	HB 1443 Continuing education reform.  House Education Committee hearing. HB 1443, as originally introduced, started with a section on common standards identical to the section in ESSB 6696.  This section was later dropped from the bill.  Watch the hearing video.
2011 March 10	HB 1891 Delaying adoption and implementation of the common core standards. House Education Committee hearing.  This bill did not make it out committee.  Watch the HB 1891 hearing video starting at 1:29:19.
2011 May	HB 1087 Sec. 501(1)(a)(ii) requires OSPI to report to legislature a timeline, estimated costs for implementation of CCSS and feedback from open public forum.
2011 July 20	Superintendent Dorn formally adopts the Common Core State Standards.
2011 November	OSPI held two public forums on the CCSS.  Forums were held in Spokane and SeaTac.
2011 December	Common Core State Standards:  Implementation Activities, Timelines, Costs, and Input on Enhancements.  Report submitted to legislature by Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn.  Estimated implementation costs about $23 million, $159.6 million less that previous estimate.
2012 Feb. 27	ESEA Flexibility—No Child Left Behind waiver request submitted under Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn’s February 15, 2012 signature.  Adoption of the CCSS is confirmed to meet one of the requirements of the request.
2012 July 6	WA’s ESEA Flexibility waiver request approved by U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
	CCSS  Common Core State Standards CCSSI  Common Core State Standards Initiative CCSSO  Council of Chief State School Officers ESEA   Elementary and Secondary Education Act NGA   National Governors Association   Click here to download a pdf of this timeline.