Registration Now Open for 2013 CCSSO Summer Institute

CCSSO’s 2013 Summer Institute, Leading toward State Education Agencies of the Future, will provide chiefs and deputies with an exciting opportunity to engage in shared learning. more

CCSSO Statement on ConnectED Initiative Announcement

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) executive director Chris Minnich released the following statement today regarding President Obama’s announcement of the ConnectED initiative aimed at providing 99 percent of America’s students high-speed internet connectivity in their schools and libraries over the next five years. more

Separating Fact from Fiction about Common Core Education Standards

Recent backlash for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on radio talk shows and internet blogs has prompted Renee Schoof of the McLatchy Washington Bureau to examine some of the common misconceptions associated with the Common Core, and address the opposition that has become a “rallying cry” of the Tea Party and other prominent conservatives. more

Nation's Graduation Rate Nears a Milestone

According to a new analysis from the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, the graduation rate for America's public schools in 2010 was close to 75 percent, rising nearly two full percentage points from the previous year and eight points in the last decade. more

New York to Evaluate Teachers With New System

New York State Education Commissioner John King, Jr., has imposed a new teacher evaluation system on New York City schools to bring the district into compliance with state law. more

New Teachers Should 'B' Ready for Tougher Standards

New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf has proposed regulations to require would-be teachers to have a college grade point average of 3.0, or the equivalent of a B average. more

Education Commissioner Touts New State Tests

Massachusetts Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester is touting the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests that will replace the MCAS beginning in the 2015-16 school year. more

New Kentucky Academic Standards for Science Advance Despite Critics

The Kentucky Board of Education has approved new academic science standards for public education, including updates on evolution and climate change. The new standards will ask middle and high school students to consider human impacts on weather. more

Florida Sees Strong Growth in Graduation Rates, Report Says

Florida's graduation rate climbed 23 percentage points from 2000 to 2010 and currently stands at 72.9 percent, according to Education Week's Diplomas Count report. Its graduation rate for Hispanic students is nine points higher than the national rate at 77.1 percent. more

National Science Standards Could Be in Store for Alabama Schools

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, states are now turning to the new Next Generation Science Standards. Alabama Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice says, "Are we going to look at those standards? Absolutely, we are." more