Education Law

Common standards racing to the top of the education agenda?

Recent developments on the issue of common standards have Boardbuzz wondering if the issue will reach critical mass soon.  The Council of Chief State School Officers announced June 1^st that that 49 states and territories signed on to the Common Core Standards Initiative to develop a common core of state standards in math and English language arts for grades K-12.  Over the weekend, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that $350 million in Race To The Top funds would be used to support state efforts to develop rigorous standards linked to common standards.  

As Wayne J. Lueders, executive director of the Associated School Boards of South Dakota points out in the Argus Leader, the call for national standards isn’t new.  What is different about the current momentum is that governors and state leaders are driving reforms with an expectation that adequate resources would be available to achieve success.  Common standards are still far from a reality, but recent events could indicate a convergence of state and federal priorities intended to help all children be successful.

What’s your take on the standards debate?  Leave a comment here and tell us about it.  You can also check out NSBA’s statement on standards here.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on June 15, 2009 (boomark / email).