Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia education professor and administrator James Marshall has been named to a group of educators, scholars and school administrators which will help develop a common national K-12 standard for English-language arts and mathematics.
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an effort to move the professional conversation about educational standards from the state to the national level. Currently, every state has its own standards for teaching and learning, and there has been little success in collaborating across state lines. Fifty-one states and territories have joined the effort, led by The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers, to develop common standards that will ensure students are prepared for the future.
The group is composed of individuals representing multiple stakeholders and a range of expertise and experience in assessment, curriculum design, cognitive development, early childhood, early numeracy, child development, English-language acquisition and elementary, middle and postsecondary education.
Marshall, associate dean for academics and professor of language and literacy education in UGA’s College of Education, has worked previously on several national standards-related projects, including the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards and the National Standards Project in the English Language Arts.
“I’m glad to be part of this conversation,” said Marshall.”I know that the process is one in which everyone learns and in which new, unanticipated questions are asked.”
A draft of the college and career-readiness standards, the first step in this initiative, was released in September and is available at www.corestandards.org. The K-12 standards for English-language arts and mathematics will align with the college- and career-readiness standards. The draft of the K-12 standards are expected to be released in early 2010.
“These standards, both the college- and career-ready and the K-12, are the critical first step for the transformation of our state education systems” said Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers. “We’re committed to ensuring students are achieving to their highest levels and given every opportunity throughout their education to do so.”
An advisory group also has been formed to provide guidance on the initiative. Members of this group include experts from Achieve, Inc., the American College Testing program, the College Board, the National Association of State Boards of Education and the State Higher Education Executive Officers.
Also participating in the initiative is Bradford Findell, a former UGA faculty member in the college’s department of mathematics and science education. Findell is currently the Mathematics Initiatives Administrator in the State of Ohio Department of Education.
