State Sen. Dolores GreshamNASHVILLE – Legislation that would require any data collected under Tennessee’s Common Core standards only be used to track the academic progress and needs of students was approved by the Senate on Monday.
The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville was approved 31-2. The House version was overwhelmingly approved 81-9 earlier this month.
The standards are intended to provide students with the critical thinking, problem solving and writing skills needed for college and the workforce. They have been voluntarily adopted by 45 states.
One of the main criticisms of the standards – developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers – is that they could lead to the sharing of personal student data with the federal government.
Gresham said the proposal is a result of concerns from parents and administrators about that possibility.