ASCD has become an endorsing partner of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a state-led effort spearheaded by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) to develop a common core of state standards in K–12 English language arts and mathematics.
The endorsement comes after the recent adoption by ASCD members of a position on the development and implementation of education standards during the ASCD Annual Conference in San Antonio, Tex. These guiding principles on standards address everything from educating the whole child through a broad and rich curriculum to including educator input at every stage of the development, implementation, and evaluation process.
“Creating such high standards is the first step in transforming our education system,” said ASCD Executive Director Dr. Gene Carter. “But just as important is helping educators understand the new standards and how to implement them in their schools and classrooms. The common core standards effort …won’t bring about positive, meaningful change for students unless we translate the standards from words on a page to tangible improvements in learning and teaching.”
“In collaboration with CCSSO and NGA, ASCD will strive to ensure teachers receive professional development that helps them develop lessons and deliver instruction aligned with the standards, gauge student progress in mastering the standards, and provide additional support to students who need it,” said Carter.
Read the Education Week report about ASCD’s announcement, and review the draft K–12 standards.
With the final standards expected to be released in the coming weeks, what are your thoughts? What messages would you like us to emphasize to our partners or include in developing capacity-building resources?
