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The Noith Caiolina Institute foi Constitutional Law
1

www.ncicl.oig
}uly 1S, 2u1S
Rushing to auopt Common Coie in oiuei to win Race to the Top (RTTT) giants, few
states thoioughly evaluateu the full costs of implementing a new cuiiiculum anu aligneu
assessment tests. Recent stuuies suggests that the cost of implementing Common Coie will
auu a buiuen of billions of uollais on alieauy cash-stiappeu states $1S.8 billion
nationally, anu $641.9 million in Noith Caiolina alone.
2
Noieovei, when feueial
goveinment funuing foi assessment uevelopment uiies up next yeai,
S
states will be left to
pick up the tab. This papei pioviues a biief oveiview of some iecent ieseaich uetailing the
expecteu costs associateu with Common Coie, paiticulaily as it ielates to Noith Caiolina.
!567 58 (66966:9;76
!"##$%& !()& (* +))$)),$%&) -% .(#&/ !0#(1-%0. The best estimate, baseu on the bulk
of the available ieseaich, of how much the State of Noith Caiolina has geneially spent on
summative (e.g., annual Enu-of-uiaue) testing piioi to Common Coie is aiounu $1u pei
stuuent. Foi example, the Biookings Institution founu that in 2u1u Noith Caiolina spent
$8,969,794 on assessments coveiing 814,4S6 stuuents in giaues S-9, foi a cost pei stuuent
of appioximately $11.
4
These numbeis also match the finuings of a Pew stuuy in 2uu1.
S

Biookings also founu that the Smaitei Balanceu Assessment Consoitium (SBAC), which is
one of two state consoitiums ieceiving feueial funuing thiough Race to the Top (RTTT),

1
Foi moie infoimation, please contact executive uiiectoi }eanette Boian at
uoianncicl.oig oi staff attoiney Tylei Younts at tyountsncicl.oig. Eithei attoiney may
be ieacheu at 919-8S8-SS1S
2
Theouoi Rebaibei, AccountabilityWoiks, .0&-(%01 !()& (* +1-2%-%2 3&0&$) 0%4 5(601-&-$) &(
&/$ !(,,(% !(#$ 3&0%40#4), A Pioneei Institute anu Ameiican Piinciples Pioject White
Papei 1u-11, Feb. 2u12 (citeu heiein as Pioneei Stuuy),
http:pioneeiinstitute.oigeuucationstuuy-estimates-cost-of-tiansition-to-national-
euucation-stanuaius-at-16-billion.
S
Natthew N. Chingos, Stiength In Numbeis: State Spenuing on K-12 Assessment Systems 2,
Biown Centei on Euucation Policy at Biookings, Nov. 2u12 (citeu heiein as Biookings
Stuuy), http:www.biookings.euuieseaichiepoits2u121129-cost-of-eu-assessment-
chingos.
4
Biookings Stuuy 26, 28.
S
748

"
estimates that Noith Caiolina has geneially spent aiounu $9 pei stuuent on assessments.
6

Anothei stuuy founu that uuiing the miu-199us Noith Caiolina spent an estimateu $6.S1
pei stuuent foi assessments.
7
In line with these stuuies, the Noith Caiolina Bepaitment of
Public Instiuction as iecently as }une S, 2u1S estimateu cuiient pei pupil spenuing on
assessments at $1u.
8

9/$ !()& (* +1-2%$4 9$)&). Theie is wiuespieau agieement that Common Coie
aligneu assessments (i.e., enu-of-yeai tests uesigneu specifically to test stuuents on
Common Coie stanuaius) will significantly inciease the cost of annual summative testing.
The SBAC pieuicts a pei pupil cost of $19.81 foi summative assessments, plus $7.Su foi
optional benchmaik assessments.
9
The Paitneiship foi Assessment of Reauiness foi
College anu Caieeis (PARCC), which is the othei feueially funueu state consoitium
ueveloping aligneu tests, says pei pupil assessment costs will iange between $17 anu
$Su.
1u
The Noith Caiolina Bepaitment of Public Instiuction piojects that the cost of
assessments will inciease fiom the cuiient level of $1u to aiounu $27 unuei Common
Coie.
11

<=>> !567 58 #?@A;B 7C9 3DA7EC 75 !5::5; !5F9
.0&-(%01 6()& $)&-,0&$). Two leauing stuuies show that full implementation of
Common Coie may enu up costing between $12.1 billion anu $1S.8 billion. Accoiuing to a
compiehensive stuuy conuucteu by the Pioneei Institute, the total cost of implementing

6
748 26. Piioi to Common Coie, assessment uevelopment was contiacteu out to N.C. State
0niveisity ieseaicheis. Noith Caiolina is a "goveining state" membei of SBAC anu fielu-
testeu assessments foi SBAC uuiing the 2u12-1S school yeai. Smaitei Balanceu
Assessment Consoitium (citeu heiein as SBAC),
http:www.smaiteibalanceu.oigaboutgoveinance.
7
Picus, L. 0., Auamson, F., Nontague, W., & 0wens, N., + .$: !(%6$;&"01 <#0,$:(#= *(#
+%01>?-%2 &/$ !()&) (* @$#*(#,0%6$ +))$)),$%& 2S, Stanfoiu, CA: Stanfoiu 0niveisity,
Stanfoiu Centei foi 0ppoitunity Policy in Euucation 2u1u,
https:scale.stanfoiu.euusystemfilesnew-conceptual-fiamewoik-analyzing-costs-
peifoimance-assessment.puf.
8
This figuie was pioviueu to the Noith Caiolina Boaiu of Euucation by Bepaitment of
Public Instiuction Beputy Chief Acauemic 0fficei Angela Quick at a iecent oiientation
session. NC SBE 0iientation, Pait 2, }une S, 2u1S (minutes not yet available online).
9
Pioneei Stuuy 1u-11.
1u
748 at 11.
11
NC SBE 0iientation, Pait 2, }une S, 2u1S.

#
Common Coie ovei the next 7 yeais coulu ieach as high as $1S.8 billion nationwiue.
12
The
stuuy factoieu in piojecteu costs ovei a seven-yeai peiiou foi new testing ($1.2 B), new
piofessional uevelopment neeueu to ietiain teacheis foi Common Coie ($S.S B), new
textbooks anu instiuctional mateiials ($2.S B), anu new technology ($6.9 B).
1S

Anothei stuuy conuucteu by the Foiuham Institute founu that the costs of
nationwiue implementation of Common Coie coulu be as high as $12.1 billion (a net
inciease of $8.S billion when cuiient expenuituies aie excluueu).
14
The Foiuham Institute
stuuy emphasizes that states may be able to iealize cost savings by auopting a "baie bones"
oi "balanceu implementation" which woulu cost only $S.u billion (savings of $927.S
million) oi $S.1 billion (a net inciease of $1.2 billion) iespectively.
1S
Bowevei, it is
impoitant to note that the Foiuham stuuy uiffeis fiom the Pioneei stuuy in thiee key
iespects: (1) it uoes not account foi technology costs, (2) it only incluues one time expenses
wheieas the Pioneei stuuy factois in continuing costs ovei a 7-yeai peiiou, anu (S) it
attempts to factoi in net costs by subtiacting cuiient expenuituies.
16
Bowevei, the
Foiuham stuuy's uecision to omit technology costs is a majoi flaw because as even it notes,
SBAC anu PARCC have issueu guiuelines foi minimum technology iequiiements that
incluue auequate computei access, banuwiuth, anu seiveis.
17
In othei woius, the Foiuham
stuuy excluues fiom its calculation a vital anu costly component of Common Coie.
Noieovei, the potential cost-savings the Foiuham stuuy touts as "baie bones" oi "balanceu
implementation" coulu only be iealizeu if states alieauy have anu so uo not neeu to auopt
these necessaiy technologies. In fact, the Foiuham stuuy actually aumits: "If schools aie to
take auvantage of cost-saving innovation, a technology infiastiuctuie must fiist exist."
18

The Pioneei stuuy pioviues a moie ieasonable estimate of the full cost of Common Coie

12
Pioneei Stuuy 2.
1S
748
14
Patiick Nuiphy, Elliot Regenstein, anu Keith NcNamaia, Putting a Piice Tag on the
Common Coie: Bow much will Smait Implementation Cost S, Thomas B. Foiuham Institute,
Nay 2u12, http:www.euexcellence.netpublicationsputting-a-piice-tag-on-the-
common-coie.html, (citeu heiein as Foiuham Stuuy).
1S
748
16
748 at 14.
17
74. at 42, Appenuix A: Technology in Common Coie Implementation.
18
748

$
implementation because it incluues technology cost estimates anu a 7-yeai outlook, as
noteu above.
19

!()& A)&-,0&$) *(# .(#&/ !0#(1-%0. The cost to implement Common Coie in Noith
Caiolina ovei the next 7 yeais coulu be as high as $641.9 million, accoiuing to the Pioneei
Institute's uata.
2u
New technology costs alone aie piojecteu to account foi $242.4.
21

Piofessional uevelopment necessaiy to ietiain teacheis to teach Common Coie accounts
foi $2u2.8 million.
22
Assessments coulu cost appioximately $1u9 million.
2S
Finally, new
textbooks anu instiuctional mateiials that aie aligneu to the Common Coie Stanuaius will
cost aiounu $87.6 million.
24
It is notable that the $641.9 million piice tag fai exceeus even
the $S99.S million in Race to the Top funus awaiueu to the State in 2u1u.
2S
Legislatois anu

19
In auuition to national statistics, inuiviuual state-level cost estimates fiom the two
laigest states in the 0nion aie alaiming. In Califoinia, foi example, it is estimateu that
ietooling foi anu implementing Common Coie will iequiie $1.6 billion in new state
spenuing. EuSouice, !01-*(#%-0 0%4 &/$ !(,,(% !(#$B C-11 9/$#$ D$ 0 .$: E$F0&$ +F("& GH
IJ 3&0%40#4)K 18, }une 2u1u, http:www.eusouice.oigpub_common-coie.html. In Texas,
the cost coulu ieach $S billion. uoveinoi Rick Peiiy, lettei to Secietaiy of Euucation Aine
Buncan, }an. 12, 2u1u, http:goveinoi.state.tx.usfilespiess-office0-
BuncanAine2u1uu11SuS44.puf.
2u
3$$ Pioneei Stuuy. By compaiison, the Foiuham stuuy inuicates NC will have to spenu
$44u million (net inciease of $Su2.S) foi full implementation, not counting technology
costs. A baie bones implementation woulu cost $1uS.4 million (net savings of $S6.2
million), anu a balanceu implementation woulu cost $181.S million (net inciease of $4u
million).
21
74. at 22.
22
748 at 16. This amount is calculateu by multiplying the estimateu $1,9S1 cost pei teacheis
of piofessional uevelopment iequiieu by Common Coie by the total numbei of euucatois in
the state (1uS,u46 teacheis baseu on the Pioneei Stuuy's uata). This calculation iesults in
an estimate of $2u2,84S,826.
2S
This figuie is calculateu by multiplying SBAC's estimate of $19.81 pei test by 786,2u6
stuuents in giaues S thiough 8 anu 11 in Noith Caiolina (baseu on the Pioneei Stuuy's
uata). This calculation yielus a one-yeai cost of $1S,S74,74u.86, which, foi the puiposes of
the Pioneei Stuuy, shoulu be multiplieu by 7 to ueteimine the cost ovei 7 yeais, which is
$1u9,u2S,186.
24
Pioneei Stuuy 19; )$$ 01)( Appenuix to the Pioneei Stuuy p. S,
http:www.accountabilitywoiks.oigphotosAppenuices.Common_Coie_Cost.AW.puf.
2S
Lettei to NC State Supeiintenuent of Public Instiuction }une Atkinson fiom Inteiim
Biiectoi, Race to the Top, }oseph C. Conaty, Sept. 24, 2u1u,
http:www2.eu.govpiogiamsiacetothetopphase2-awaiusnoith-caiolina.puf.

&
SBE membeis aie beginning to question the expense of Common Coie, incluuing anu in
paiticulai the cost of aligneu testing.
!5;E>=6A5;
The best estimate is that Common Coie will cost the State of Noith Caiolina $641.9
million ovei the next seven yeais. Even though the feueial goveinment has funueu
assessment uevelopment up until now, that suppoit will enu in Septembei 2u14, six
months befoie the fiist actual tests aie auministeieu. This means states will be left to foot
this bill along with all the othei costs associateu with implementation. Befoie pioceeuing,
states like Noith Caiolina woulu be wise to uo fuithei stuuy the cost anu consequences of
continueu implementation of Common Coie.