On Dec. 10, President Barack Obama signed a law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act with the Every Student Succeeds Act. George W.

Common Core testing introduced a fifth, or elite, level of mastery, whereas students used to be graded on a scale of 1 to 4, the Voorheesville superintendent told the school board this month.

_{Timothy Wiles, Guilderland Public Library director}

Americans are increasingly opposed to Common Core standards although much of the oppositon appears related to other reforms, such as accountability for teachers, fostering more testing.

Guilderland has made strides in improvingg scores for students with disabilties and in closing the gap between students that come from poor homes and those that don't.

In the elementary school, teachers are embracing the math modules set out by the state as guides for curricula. Throughout the district, administrators are hoping hires of teaching assistants and teaching coaches will set BKW on the right track with the Common Core standards.

GUILDERLAND — Two incumbents — Allan Simpson and Judy Slack — and newcomer Christopher McManus are running for three seats on the school board. No one else turned in petitions by Monday’s deadline.

All of them support the $92 million budget, which district residents will decide on, on May 20, along with the election.

A Voorheesville algebra teacher is emblematic of teachers across the state who this week learned they would have to change their lessons to fit last-minute backtracking in the Common Core roll-out.

Legislators listened to teachers, parents, and school leaders with complaints about how new standards will serve students with special needs who are better off with individualized goals.

Guilderland has 20 teachers on required improvement plans, a measure the superintendent says is unwarranted because the numbers from hastily implemented state tests, she said, don't mean much.