Press Releases

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released for public comment new draft core teaching standards. The release of the standards signals the beginning of the public comment period which will run until October 15, 2010, during which time CCSSO seeks broad input from the education community and the public at large.

the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released a set of state-led education standards, the Common Core State Standards, at Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, GA. The English-language arts and mathematics standards for grades K-12 were developed in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders including content experts, states, teachers, school administrators and parents. The standards establish clear and consistent goals for learning that will prepare America's children for success in college and work.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in alliance with the Stupski Foundation announced Kentucky, Maine, New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin as the first states to launch a pioneering partnership to transform the nation’s public education system and dramatically lift the quality of learning and achievement for all children in public schools.

Dr. Steven L. Paine, State Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia Department of Education, testified today on behalf of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Because of her passion for her subject, her innovative focus on her learners and the equal passion she devotes to mentoring others new to the profession, Wessling will be named 2010 National Teacher of the Year by President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony on April 29, 2010. Also recognized at this event will be the 2010 state teachers of the year.

Joseph Morton, State Superintendent of Education of the Alabama Department of Education, testified today on behalf of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on the need for an Education Jobs Fund.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) welcomes Dr. Steven L. Paine, state superintendent of schools for West Virginia, as CCSSO’s Board President.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released the first official public draft of the K-12 standards as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a process being led by governors and chief state school officers in 51 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

On Monday, March 15, President Obama submitted a blueprint to Congress on how best to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). CCSSO believes this blueprint is responsive to state calls for reform of the No Child Left Behind Act and is a strong first step toward final reauthorization, which the Council has publicly called for since 2006.

With the pending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as a focal point, 48 states met at CCSSO's 2010 Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, to address pressing state education issues.