Current News

The Arizona Department of Education and Native American tribes helped create a recently adopted policy to enable certified Native language speakers to teach their Native languages in Arizona classrooms. The Native American Language Certification Policy already is being used by the Navajo Nation, and other Native American tribes are developing proficiency assessments to take part in the initiative.

To provide all states with quick access to sample practices they can quickly and easily use, CCSSO has compiled examples of state Common Core implementation work in three keys areas: system alignment and systems change; educator supports; and communication and engagement tools.

In December 2011, CCSSO welcomed 12 esteemed colleagues of research and practitioner backgrounds into a Research and Development (R&D) Advisory committee intended to help guide CCSSO's research efforts. Comprised of diverse experts within educational research, development, and practitioner communities, the R&D Advisory has been instrumental in helping to design the nature of CCSSO's involvement within the educational research ecosystem. They continue to provide guidance to CCSSO's research activities and recommend opportunities for CCSSO to bridge research and practice.

On June 14-17, 2012, representatives from CCSSO's Innovation Lab Network traveled to Helsinki, Finland, to join delegations from around the world in the Global Education Leaders Program (GELP). There, they explored, discussed, and learned from each other's transformational journeys toward 21st century education.

Next Generation Learning Challenges, an initiative dedicated to improving college readiness and completion, today announced $4.5 million in grants for comprehensive new secondary school and college models that use technology to reach targets for affordability and student success.

Chief State School Officers are invited to attend this year’s Labor-Management Collaboration Conference from May 23 to 24 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Last year’s event in Denver was for districts only; this year’s event will be open to State as well as district teams.

CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and six fellow national education leaders today in signing a shared vision for the future of the teaching profession during the opening 2012 Labor Management Conference in Cincinnati.

Chief state school officers from around the country and CCSSO Executive Director, Gene Wilhoit will join U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, educators and leaders from across the world at the second annual International Summit on the Teaching Profession (International Summit) in New York City, March 14-15.

CCSSO recently kicked off a new series of convenings to facilitate discussion among assessment consortia, state leaders and technology/assessment experts around issues identified by the five federally-funded assessment consortia to support the development of comparable assessment systems that are aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

Several states will submit applications to the U.S. Department of Education on November 14 seeking waivers of certain provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). These waivers will allow states the flexibility to develop stronger accountability and teacher evaluation systems, and provide relief from current provisions preventing states moving forward with reform.