Dr. Rizzo's Statement on the Common Core State Standards Initiative
Receive Article Updates (RSS)September 21, 2009
The following is a statement from Dr. Judith Rizzo, Executive Director of the James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy regarding the Common Core State Standards Initiative and official release of the draft college- and career-readiness standards in English language arts and mathematics:
"The Common Core State Standards effort has produced a set of high school exit standards that are evidence-based and benchmarked against those from our highest achieving states and nations. They present an opportunity to begin moving away from individual state standards; to relieve states from the considerable time, energy and resources needed to develop 50 sets of unique standards in language arts and math—resources that could be better spent in training teachers and principals, providing professional development, designing curriculum, supporting students, improving failing schools, and ultimately, purchasing large scale assessments. Adoption of a common core of fewer, clearer and higher standards would allow states to do just that. It will allow states to shift from developing standards to implementing them.”