Legislation passed by the Assembly would halt implementation of Common Core standards if approved by the Senate and governor, North Country Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell said.

Problems with implementation have raised concerns among teachers, students, parents and administrators in St. Lawrence County.

The Assembly passed legislation Wednesday that halts implementation of Common Core testing standards on students' grades, teachers' evaluations and prohibits the state from providing sensitive student data to third party vendors until 2015.

Russell, who represents portions of St. Lawrence County along the St. Lawrence River said the kinks need to be worked out before the state moves forward with the plan.

“We all support the goal of preparing our students to be successful as they enter college and the workforce, but the chaotic rollout of Common Core has only produced confusion,” Assemblywoman Russell said. “This legislation gives our students, teachers, schools and parents an opportunity to catch their breath and adapt to these new standards while protecting students from being penalized for its poor implementation.”

The bill, which now moves to the Senate, prevents Common Core testing from being used in evaluating the performance of teachers and principals for two years and limits the use of Common Core tests in promotion and placement decisions for students in grades three through eight. Additionally, the legislation instructs the state education department commissioner to look at ways to eliminate excessive tests and bans standardized tests in kindergarten through second grade.

“It’s not fair to our children to leave them caught in the middle while the state education department works to get the bugs out,” Russell said. “While it’s vital that we adopt standards that prepare our students to compete in the 21st century, we must provide the time and resources necessary to be successful.”

The legislation will also prohibit the state education department from providing confidential student data to private, third party vendors like inBloom until July 1, 2015 and allows parents to opt out of the program once it takes effect.

Parents across the North Country have expressed concern about the safety of providing personal student data to private companies and this legislation halts the process until security concerns can be addressed, Russell said.