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CCSSO and NGA Center Convene 49 States and Territories for State-led Process to Develop Common English-language arts and Mathematics Standards
CCSSO and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) yesterday released the names of the states and territories that have joined the Common Core State Standards Initiative: Alabama; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; District of Columbia; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; Rhode Island; South Dakota; Tennessee; Utah; Vermont; Virgin Islands; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; and Wyoming.
By signing on to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, governors and state commissioners of education across the country are committing to joining a state-led process to develop a common core of state standards in English-language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. These standards will be research and evidence-based, internationally benchmarked, aligned with college and work expectations and include rigorous content and skills.
“As state school chiefs, we have been discussing and building momentum for state-led, voluntary common standards that are both rigorous and internationally benchmarked for the past two years.,” stated CCSSO President and Arkansas Commissioner of Education Ken James. “The broad level of commitment we have received from states across the nation for this unprecedented effort is both gratifying and exciting. It also clearly illustrates that this is an idea whose time has arrived.”
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is being jointly led by the NGA Center and CCSSO in partnership with Achieve, Inc., ACT, and the College Board. It builds directly on recent efforts of leading organizations and states that have focused on developing college-and career-ready standards and ensures that these standards can be internationally benchmarked to top-performing countries around the world.
For more information about the Common Core State Standards Initiative, read the official press release here or contact Carrie Heath at carrieh@ccsso.org.
Headlines
Association & Related News
CCSSO Convenes First Meeting of the Collaborative Congress
School Improvement Leader Network Hosted Webinar on Allocation of ARRA Money
Education Newsbriefs
"Educators Say Mass. Education Reform Law Ensures Schools Have Needed Funds" (MA)
"Secretaries of Health, Education Announce New Initiatives to Curb Childhood Obesity" (PA)
"Global Connection" (WV)
"Three Young Women Win Top Honors at World's Largest Pre-College Science Competition"
"46 States, D.C. Plan to Draft Common Education Standards"
Association & Related News
CCSSO Convenes First Meeting of the Collaborative Congress
By Robert Olsen
Twenty-one deputies and other critical guests convened May 18 and 19 in Tampa, Florida at the Collaborative Congress meeting. The Collaborative Congress meeting, which followed the 2009 Deputies Leadership Council meeting, was designed to introduce the Collaboratives (formerly known as the State Collaboratives on Assessment and Student Standards or SCASS) to the deputies.
Meeting participants explored the advantages of establishing an independent, membership-based oversight and support group to help guide the Collaboratives. Deputies discussed how specific Collaboratives contribute to their state education agencies (SEAs), how Collaboratives can better leverage their work among each other, SEA collaboration needs not currently being met, and strategies for funding membership in the Collaborative Congress.
At the meeting John Tanner, director of CCSSO's Center for Innovative Measures, explained the how the Collaboratives contribute to the Council's Assessment and Standards Initiative. Lois Adams-Rodgers, CCSSO deputy executive director, offered thoughts about the contributions the Council can make to enhance the work of the Collaboratives. Doug Christensen, former commissioner of education in Nebraska, commented on the present status of the Collaboratives and how they benefited the Nebraska SEA during his time as a chief. Bob Olsen, CCSSO senior state collaboratives manager, chaired the meeting.
Four presentations from current Collaborative advisors explained their current work, the major accomplishments their Collaboratives have achieved, and the ways in which their work positively supports the SEAs. Bob Olsen introduced the new 2009-2010 Collaboratives lineup including six new Collaboratives offerings for a total of 19. Additionally deputies discussed ways to better support and utilize the work of the Collaboratives for the needs of their SEAs.
The Collaborative Congress will meet twice annually to provide oversight, insight, and advocacy to enhance the support between the Collaboratives and the SEAs. For more information about this initiative and opportunities for engagement, please contact, Robert M. (Bob) Olsen, at roberto@ccsso.org, or 202-312-6869.
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School Improvement Leader Network Hosted Webinar on Allocation of ARRA Money
By Nina de las Alas
The National Network of State School Improvement Leaders (NNSSIL) presented a webinar on May 11 on “How to Allocate ARRA Money, including Section 1003(g) Fund” with Tom Corwin and Susan Wilhelm from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) as presenters. The presenters provided updates on the progress of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) roll-out of funds and guidance from ED. Questions ranging from clarification of specific ARRA provisions and allocation of Section 1003(g) Funds and broader questions regarding state assistance to schools initiated a discussion between the presenters and webinar participants after the presentation. The recording of the webinar, agenda, PowerPoint presentations, and informational links to ARRA funding issues are now accessible at www.centerii.org/leaders.
NNSSIL will also be assisting with a new initiative that has been recently announced by the Center for Innovation and Improvement (CII) to help states build capacity in their systems of support by developing skilled experts in three areas: leadership, change, and instruction. The “Academy of Pacesetting States” is a year-long series of activities of intensive, sustained training, consultation, and support in these critical areas, beginning with a five-day session this July in Princeton, NJ. Following the summer session, the subscribed states will continue with monthly distance learning and team conference calls, plus a year-end three day meeting and advanced training. For more information about the academy please click here.
NNSSIL is co-founded and co-managed by CCSSO and the Center on Innovation & Improvement (CII), and is comprised of school improvement leaders from state education agencies from all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and all the directors from the federally-funded regional comprehensive centers. NNSSIL is designed to improve communication and technical assistance both among the states themselves and between the states and the regional comprehensive center network and ED. For more information about NNSSIL, please contact Nina de las Alas, co-coordinator of NNSSIL at ninaa@ccsso.org or 202-312-6863.
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Education Newsbriefs
Educators Say Mass. Education Reform Law Ensures Schools Have Needed Funds
Republican (MA) (05/31/09) DeForge, Jeanette
According to the newly released Massachusetts Institute of a New Commonwealth study of the State Education Reform Law passed about 15 years ago, the funding formula has been beneficial and helps improve lower-performing school districts. Massachusetts Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester says, "My first observation is clearly we have not done the job in some of the districts. We are providing a world-class education but not to all of our students." The report made six recommendations for further improvement, including moving some of the best teachers to the schools most in need. Chester, noting that he endorses the idea of using the best teachers to improve low performing schools, says, "We would not shy away from talking about teacher effectiveness and not just teacher qualifications."
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Secretaries of Health, Education Announce New Initiatives to Curb Childhood Obesity
GantDaily (PA) (05/27/09)
The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the State Department of Education have joined forces for the Active Schools Grant program, which aims to lower childhood obesity rates and improve students' health. The federal Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant will fund the program, with the state offering a 2:1 match. Middle schools across the state will have access to $5,000 grants from the State Department of Health for instituting evidence-based physical activity programs in accordance with federal guidelines. Meanwhile, the State Department of Education will require 21st Century Learning Grant recipients to add between a half-hour and one hour of physical activity to after-school and summer programs. According to State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak, "Children today spend twice as much time in front of video games and TV screens as they do exercising. We know there is a direct link between physical fitness and school performance. These initiatives will bring a renewed focus to the important role that schools and communities play in ensuring the health of students." For more about the state's Active Schools Grant Program, go here. For more about federal Preventive Health and Health Services Block grants, click here. For more about 21st Century Learning Center Grants, click here.
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Global Connection
State Journal (WV) (05/28/09) Darst, Paul
More than 330 high school students in 14 schools in West Virginia participated in the Globaloria pilot project during the 2008-09 school year. Globaloria is part of West Virginia's Global21 program, and the curriculum calls for students to use a variety of Web 2.0 tools and a social network for Web-game design and simulation to design interactive video games. Students participating in the program broaden their math skills and work with students elsewhere in the United States and worldwide. "As part of our 21st century learning model called Global21, West Virginia public school students are focusing on core subjects, as well as performance skills like critical thinking, self-directed learning, collaboration and creativity," says State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine. "Globaloria supports this 21st century learning environment with alignment to the public school curriculum and technology standards." Globaloria is expected to reach 20 schools and 1,000 students in the 2009-10 school year and be rolled out statewide by the 2010-11 school year. For more information about Globaloria, click here and here. For more about Global21, click here.
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Three Young Women Win Top Honors at World's Largest Pre-College Science Competition
Intel Press Release (05/15/09)
Out of more than 1,500 scientists from 56 countries who entered, the top three winners of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair were young women from Virginia, Texas, and Massachusetts. Each winner was awarded a $50,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation. More than 500 other participants also received scholarships and prizes. Intel Chair Craig Barrett says, "The real end point of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is to elevate the recognition of achievement of the younger generation in academic and learning exercises. I hope that more young people will look at these students and realize they can be recognized for using their brains. You don't have to be a quarterback, a basketball player or a baseball player to be recognized by your peers and the public." Many science fairs depend upon volunteers, including teachers and parents, and many students who participate in the Intel fair engage in science training programs at local universities and colleges throughout the United States. For more information about the event and students projects, go here. To learn more about how countries and schools have supported students in their efforts, click here. For more information about the more than 300 training programs nationwide, go here.
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46 States, D.C. Plan to Draft Common Education Standards
Washington Post (06/01/09) Glod, Maria
Each state currently determines what each student should be taught in third-grade reading, fifth-grade math, and other classes, but this is about to change as education leaders from 46 states and Washington, D.C., come together this summer to craft common reading and math standards for students beginning in kindergarten. The initiative is led by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the National Governors Association, and the states. Benchmarks for the common standards include ensuring students are internationally competitive and prepared for college or a job, though each state must decide whether to adopt the common standards once they are drafted. CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit says, "[Expectations will be] higher, clearer and fewer." He also notes that common standards will make it easier for companies and researchers to create textbooks and professional training that meet the needs of the curriculum in each state. In July, education leaders are expected to release "readiness standards" for high school graduates, which will become the benchmark for each step along students' education route. However, the initiative does not plan to outline how teachers are expected to achieve these goals, providing them with greater freedom so long as students meet the benchmarks.
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