After some tense debate, the Alabama school board voted last week not to rescind a nationwide curriculum plan adopted less than a year ago. Locally, education officials say the federally-recommended plan holds enough advantages and consistencies that is should provide a solid framework for area systems.

Riding a wave of states-rights sentiment that recently brought the topic back to the table, the Alabama Board of Education voted 6-3 last week to stick with a decision it made in November 2010 to adopt the national standards known as Common Core in math and English. Gov. Robert Bentley, who serves as president of the board, opposed common core and said he believes each state should set its own standards.

Opponents had argued the national standards would give the federal government too much control over education in Alabama and would be expensive to implement. Supporters say the new standards make sure Alabama students master the same skills as students in other states and will mean a smoother transition for children whose families move from state to state.

Had the federally recommended standards been repealed, Alabama would have likely reverted to the previous state standards, or a new curriculum would have been written.

Cullman City Schools Superintendent Dr. Jan Harris, who serves on the state math textbook committee, said she saw no tangible reason to rescind the new standards.

“I think keeping the math and English standards is a good move, because math is math — that’s the easiest way to explain it,” she said. “I do share the concern about minimizing federal involvement with local schools. But, the new standards focus a lot on understanding the processes and having hands-on opportunities, at least that was the big difference to me.”

Cullman County Board of Education Curriculum Coordinator Denise Schuman said the system has been anticipating the common core changes (new math standards go into effect next school year, with the English standards in subsequent years) and believe they represent a positive long-term shift.

“We’ve been looking at how we need to adapt our curriculum and see how we need to change to be ready,” she said. “This will provide a clear understanding of what students need to do, and by having consistent standards you’ll be able to provide appropriate benchmarks for all students. This will help the students in our system succeed, because you have parents, teachers and students all on the same page with shared goals.”

By adopting common standards in virtually every state, Schuman said it should be a huge benefit to students who may move between states and school districts.

“We’re a very transient society, and the amount of students who start school and graduate at the same place is shrinking,” she said. “It shouldn’t matter if you’re in the city system, county system or another state — you should have a common expectation for learning. It will help us be more competitive globally, because we’ll be measured by the same standards.”

Before the common core standards became prevalent across the nation, separate states developed their own standards. Regardless of which standard set is in place, local school districts retain the freedom to set their own curriculum — within the standard’s framework.

 “Before, you would have each state determining the expectation, of what students should learn at this age and in this grade,” Schuman said. “Therefore Alabama’s standards may be vastly different from Georgia, Florida, or Tennessee. So, having a common core identifies what the expectation is for the student in this subject. If we’re going to compare kids [with test scores], lets compare them fairly.”

Schuman said the county system is already eyeing a fundamental change in its approach to curriculum, which will be implemented in conjunction with the common core standards.

“We have a new process, where we’re looking at strategic teaching, where as a classroom teacher you say this is my objective, and this is what you will learn and have a mastery of at the end of this class period … It sends a message to students that their time is valuable, and I think that’s huge.”

* The Associated Press contributed to this report.

* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.