Collaboration among P-12 and higher education leaders is the
key to effective state implementation of the Common Core State Standards
(CCSS) for English Language Arts and Mathematics. With this strategy as
the foundation for an agreement, the American Association of State
Colleges and Universities is partnering with the Council of Chief State
School Officers (CCSSO), and the State Higher Education Executive
Officers (SHEEO) to promote broad implementation and utilization of the
CCSS.
The Common Core State Standards, academic standards for
Mathematics and English Language Arts for kindergarten through 12th
grade, were developed by the CCSSO and the National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices and have been formally adopted by
more than 40 states and territories.
These new academic standards are designed to help students be
college- and career-ready by the end of the 12th grade. The new
standards were developed with the realization that the multiplicity of
state approaches to standards and assessments in mathematics and English
did not adequately prepare students for the challenges of the
postsecondary classroom or the workforce.
“Ensuring students have a seamless transition from high school
to college will require close collaboration between chief state school
officers and higher education leaders,” said Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the CCSSO. “The
overriding objective of this partnership is to develop deeper, more
authentic partnerships between K-12 schools and the colleges and
universities who enroll their graduates and prepare teachers and school
leaders.”
The three organizations noted in their agreement that at the
local as well as state levels, the involvement of postsecondary faculty,
academic leaders, and policy makers will be essential for successful
implementation and long-term sustainability of the CCSS. Success will
require P-12 and higher education institutional and statewide policy
changes in areas such as admission and placement criteria, in-service
and pre-service teacher education, and other areas directly related to
the Common Core State Standards. AASCU President Muriel Howard said that “without extensive and
deep postsecondary involvement, wide implementation of more uniform and
transparent P-12 standards is less likely, and high school graduation
requirements are likely to continue to fall short of broadly held
expectations for college and workforce readiness.
“AASCU institutions are deeply connected to their communities
and we have great opportunities to engage with local education leaders.
We are committed to making the implementation of Common Core State
Standards successful; our success in preparing students for global
competition depends on it,” she said.
The AASCU/CCSSO/SHEEO partnership will focus on four major
areas of work: facilitating meaningful dialogue on implementing CCSS
among state and local education leaders; identifying strategies to
improve college readiness; working with in-service high school teachers
to identify and address existing problem areas in preparing high school
graduates to be ready for college-level work; and incorporating the new
common core standards across teacher preparation programs.
Paul Lingenfelter, president of SHEEO, observed, “This is an
important partnership because state policy and the success of schools
and colleges and universities are so interconnected. State higher
education executives and chief state school officers must work together
to improve policies affecting teacher preparation and in-service
education, especially given the opportunities presented by clearer
standards and the promise of better assessments. This initiative
provides fresh opportunities for faculty and teacher leaders in schools
to learn from each other and collaborate to improve student success.”
The AASCU/CCSSO/SHEEO partnership will be led by a Steering
Committee consisting of five representatives from each association
charged with designing strategies to foster the successful
implementation of the standards in states and local communities. Over the next two years, the associations intend to provide
opportunities for all of their members to be involved in and benefit
from this initiative.
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AASCU is the leadership association of 420 public
colleges and universities Delivering America’s Promise through their
common commitments to access, affordability and educational
opportunity. Enrolling more than 3 million students, these institutions
fulfill the expectations of a public university by working for the
public good through education, stewardship and engagement, thereby
improving the lives of people in their community, their region and their
state.