CCSSO Welcomes New President and Board of Directors

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced today the 2013-2014 CCSSO Board of Directors. Elections took place during the 2012 Annual Policy Forum and Business Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of Education in Massachusetts assumed the role of CCSSO president and Terry Holliday, Commissioner of Education in Kentucky was named president-elect. more

Annual Policy Forum Focuses on Leadership, Educator Evaluation

Chiefs and their key staff met last week in Savannah, GA for CCSSO’s Annual Policy Forum. Discussion topics focused on the importance of leadership in policy areas such as educator preparation and evaluation, ESEA reauthorization and school choice. Chiefs heard from panels of colleagues, experts and practitioners. Speakers included Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. more

Georgia and ETS Partner to Assess the Knowledge and Skills of GA Educators

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) has selected the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to develop and administer the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators® (GACE®) to assess the knowledge and skills of prospective Georgia public school educators. more

Evers Proposes Increase in Aid to Wis. Schools

Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers recently proposed a $615 million increase -- an increase of 2.4 percent in 2013 and a 5.5 percent increase for 2014 -- for public schools over the next two years by redirecting money from the popular school levy tax credit program. Nearly $47 million would be used to meet specific needs of schools, including raising graduation rates and increasing funds for a high percentage of non-English speaking students. more

Recommendations for Tennessee School Voucher Program Still Debatable Among Task Force

Following the final task force meeting, Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said the recommendations will provide Gov. Bill Haslam with options for a school voucher program. "There are some areas where there is a pretty broad range of views on how to do it," he said. The group agreed that a voucher program should be limited to low-income students, and that private schools should be screened for eligibility and held accountable if they participate in the program. more

New Rules Set Testing Standard for Iowa Teachers

The Iowa State Board of Education has approved new rules that will require prospective teachers -- beginning with those graduating in spring 2013 -- to score in the 25th percentile on two national tests in order to obtain their teaching certificates. Only elementary school teachers are presently required to take two exams, but the new rules expand the requirement to all teachers. more

DOE Gets Three-Year Grant for Common Core

Guam Public School System Superintendent Jon Fernandez says the agency has been given a three-year grant that will enable it to promote the Common Core standards at the school level. The $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will support administrator and teacher leadership with regard to Common Core implementation, and Fernandez says the funds will enable the agency to overcome local financial challenges and focus on outcomes. more

Barge Wants Georgia to Invest in Teachers

Georgia Superintendent of Schools John Barge has praised the state for helping improve student test scores over the past year. Barge said the state has partnered with the Black Caucus to set up educational summits throughout the state to share the positive news. more

Gains Made in South Carolina Graduation Rates, State Report Card Ratings

The South Carolina Department of Education released data that shows more students graduated on time in 2012 than in 2011, with the rate increasing from 73.6 percent to 74.9 percent. The graduation rates of black, Hispanic, and subsidized school-meal students are at their highest levels since the department began releasing subgroup performance data in 2004. The graduation rate gap between white and black students declined by 0.2 percent in 2012, while the gap with Hispanic students declined 5.1 percent since 2004. more

More Than 500 School Districts Have Submitted Evaluation Plans

New York State Education Commissioner John King, Jr., reports that 500 of 700 school districts across the state have submitted plans for the new state-mandated teacher evaluations. School districts have until Jan. 17, 2013, to submit their plans, and without those plans, they will forfeit a scheduled increase in state aid. About 200 school districts have approved plans. more

Missouri Students Taking More Foreign Language, World History Classes

In October, the Missouri State Board of Education adopted a resolution in support of International Education Week to encourage schools to provide students with the knowledge they would need to succeed in an increasingly global society and its globally competitive economy. Missouri Education Commissioner Chris L. Nicastro said, "The ability to communicate effectively with people from other countries and develop a deeper understanding of other cultures has never been more important." more

Students Face Tougher Assessments

In Louisiana, tougher questions for English, math, science, and social studies on annual assessments may not count toward this year's results, but they will count for nearly 10 percent of the results in the 2013-14 school year and all answers will count in the 2014-15 school year. State Superintendent of Education John White said the tests are part of the state's move toward a more rigorous curriculum aimed at improving student achievement. more

Report Says Iowa Students Should Be Evaluated Three Times Yearly

Iowa Education Director Jason Glass released a 20-page report that, among other things, recommended the implementation of a Response to Intervention program to assess students three times per year and provide struggling students with additional small group or one-on-one instruction. Glass says the program would have "quality controls as to what those assessments look like," but each school can choose its own assessments. The goal of the program is to reduce the achievement gap between different socioeconomic, racial, and disability groups. more

20 Districts, Nonprofits Set to Share $150 Million in New i3 Awards

The U.S. Department of Education has named 20 school districts and nonprofits as winners of the third round of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition. A total of $150 million was awarded, with eight "validation" awards up to $15 million and 12 "development" awards up to $3 million. more

New Controversial Math Standards Gain Ambitious Support

A new Michigan State University study published in Educational Researcher supports the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM), which will be implemented in 46 states in 2014. Researchers William Schmidt and Richard Houang report that states with previous standards most similar to CCSSM scored better on national math tests in 2009. more

State's Education Chief Shares His Vision

In a recent speech to educators, Oregon Chief Education Officer Rudy Crew stressed that confidence in the classroom and building relationships with students are keys to success. "I want the model in Oregon classrooms to focus on confidence. Confidence plus effort," he said. "When they say they can't do algebra or that they don't like math, you tell them you believe they can." more

State Schools Chief Announces New Standards for Learning English

The California State Board of Education has adopted new English Language Development Standards for English learners that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. The standards, created by the California Department of Education, aim to help English learners develop important knowledge and skills. more