Why I Support the Common Core Reading StandardsAfter attending a two-day conference with David Coleman, president of the College Board and chief architect of the Common Core State Standards, Liberty University English professor Karen Prior was no longer skeptical of the standards' potential to boost literacy and improve reading skills among U.S. grade-school students. more West Virginia Receives High Marks for Pre-Kindergarten SupportWest Virginia was recognized for its efforts to increase pre-kindergarten resources in the National Institute for Early Education Research's "State of Preschool 2012" report. The state increased per pupil pre-K funding by $10 million in 2011-12 to about $6,000 per child, compared to the national average of $3,841. more Proponent Calls Common Core the 'Great Equalizer of Education'The Pennsylvania Department of Education stresses that the Common Core State Standards are academic standards -- not a curriculum -- that aim to prepare students to succeed in higher education or the workforce. "Look at it as if the state standards are what you need to know to cross the goal line," says spokesman Tim Eller. more New Las Cruces School Will Pave Way for Study of Health SciencesLas Cruces educators and state officials broke ground on New Mexico's first medical and allied healthcare early college high school, which will be an expansion of the Arrowhead Park Early College High School, located at the southeast end of the New Mexico State University campus. more LePage, Bowen Unveil New Grading System for Public SchoolsIn his State of the State Address, Maine Gov. Paul LePage unveiled a new grading system for the state's public schools, each of which will receive their own A-F letter grade. For elementary schools, math and reading proficiency -- measured by standardized assessments and progress -- will be equally weighted to determine a grade. more Advances Announced for the State's Scholarship ProgramThe Louisiana Department of Education reports that it has matched close to 8,000 students with the schools of their choice through the Louisiana Scholarship Program, with the number of scholarships offered up almost 3,000 over last year. more 16 Schools Honored by Illinois State Board of EducationThe Illinois State Board of Education recognized a total of 624 schools with Illinois Honor Roll awards. The awards are given to schools with high poverty rates that have overcome the odds, those that have achieved high-performance scores for three straight years, and those with improvement ratings of 7.5 percent in one year or 15 percent in two years. more State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Public Comment Period Open on New Common Core Math FrameworkThe draft Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, has been released for public comment through June 20, 2013, moving the state closer to implementing the Common Core State Standards for math. more | 
