After months of protests and hours of testimony criticizing the controversial Common Core standards, Gov. Cuomo's Common Core Task Force announced a plan to overhaul the curriculum by adopting new, locally designed standards, along with fewer tests.

The report -- released on Thursday -- makes 21 recommendations. Among them are enlisting educators and parents to help create new standards and tests; minimizing student testing anxiety by reducing the number of test days and test questions; and calls for a more transparent process so educators can periodically review education standards.

Jeanette Deutermann, of the Long Island Opt-Out movement, says the report signals a major step in the state's retreat from the Common Core standards.

Earlier this year, tens of thousands of students across the state chose to opt out of state exams, with parents calling the testing methods grueling and stressful. On Long Island alone, about 85,000 students opted out.

The task force is looking to the state to not use its test scores to evaluate teachers through the 2018-19 school year. That would allow time to develop their new standards.

The report also calls for ensuring that state tests account for different types of learners including students with disabilities and English-language learners.

Cuomo is expected to outline details on how the plan will be implemented during his State of the State address next month.