Missouri judge rules Common Core testing group is illegal

Says Show Me state cannot pay any money for the services

In a stunning development in the on-going saga of the Common Core State Standards, Missouri Circuit Court Judge Daniel R. Green has ruled that the formation of the multi-state testing consortium known as the Smarter-Balanced Assessment Consortium violates provisions in the US Constitution as well as a number of federal laws.

The ruling, which probably has implications for the other Common Core test consortium, known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), could throw testing into turmoil in many states. Both PARCC and SBAC are starting to test now.

The ruling follows an earlier temporary injunction issued by Judge Green in November.

This news article from North Dakota, where similar legal action is in process, explains the issues.

Kentucky dodged this bullet – more by luck than design – because it has dropped out of its former participation in both PARCC and SBAC. Still, the growing story could raise future questions here about why legal implications of the state's earlier participation were not more carefully researched.