NSBA Applauds NGA, CCSSO For Work on Core Standards

Alexandria, Va. - September 21, 2009 - The National School Boards Association applauds the work of the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers for their work in assembling an important first step - the Draft Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. In their attempt to “define the knowledge and skills students should have to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing, academic college courses and in workforce training programs” the groups have brought clarity to a widely varied and disparate set of state standards.

“These standards provide a level of expectations for states to aspire to or to continue to exceed,” said NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant. “It is critical to ensure that the adoption of common standards does not lower the standards of states that are already performing at a high level, but rather raises the bar for states that have work to do.”

NSBA’s Delegate Assembly adopted a position in April supporting state and local efforts to provide students with an education that is appropriately focused on 21st century skills and uses of knowledge, including the development by non-federal entities of model standards for voluntary state adoption for those purposes. With respect to academic standards, NSBA’s resolution speaks in support of the federal government funding research and efforts by individual states or groups of states, when requested, to their development and implementation. The resolution is clear that NSBA will oppose any federal efforts to make state adoption of any standards involving skills or content mandatory or as a condition for federal aid.

Bryant went on to say, “We know that rigorous standards are critical to student achievement, but standards alone do not transform teaching and learning. It will be only at the local level, with school boards, administrators and teachers working together, to establish clear goals, aligned with a broad and rich curriculum and instructional plan, a climate fostering student achievement, that real progress will be made. Our common goal is excellence in public education for all children. We look forward to reviewing the complete set of standards in detail and participating in the process that NGA and CCSSO have initiated. This is a good beginning to the larger project of developing common elements to other grade levels and subject areas.” 

Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association (www.nsba.org) is a not-for-profit federation of state associations of school boards representing 95,000 local school board members throughout the United States. Its mission is to foster excellence and equity in public elementary and secondary education through local school board leadership. NSBA represents the school board perspective in working with federal government agencies and national organizations that impact education, and provides vital information and services to state associations of school boards throughout the nation.