MD Gets Funding to Align High-School Graduation and College-Readiness Standards; USM to Play Key Role
NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION SELECTS MARYLAND
TO RECEIVE FUNDS TO ALIGN K-12
CORE STANDARDS
WITH COLLEGE READINESS EXPECTATIONS
August 9, 2012 (Adelphi, MD)-The National Governors Association (NGA) has selected Maryland as one of three states to receive funding to map and execute postsecondary implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The other states are Missouri and Nevada.
The CCSS Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare children for college the workforce, the core state standards define the knowledge and skills students should gain in grades K-12 in order to prepare successfully for entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and workforce training programs.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) in 2010 adopted the Common Core State Standards and has been working with school systems statewide to review and revise curricula so that they align with the standards. MSDE plans to implement the standards fully in the 2013-14 school year.
The new funding just announced by NGA will support the alignment of Maryland's core state standards with what college and university faculty members expect their students to have mastered when they enter higher education institutions. To help ensure this alignment, the English and mathematics working groups of the Governor's P-20 Leadership Council of Maryland will work with higher-education faculty to develop a definition of college readiness.
The University System of Maryland is playing a key role in this process. Nancy Shapiro, who serves as the adviser on P-20 issues to USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan, says the next year of work will be critical: "The USM will help to facilitate the involvement of faculty from all sectors of Maryland higher education in this alignment process. Our goal is to ensure that faculty members understand the changes resulting from MSDE's adoption and implementation of the common core state standards and then are able to develop and embrace a shared definition of college readiness."
Each state will receive $65,000 provided by the William and Flora Hewlett and Lumina Foundations. The states also will receive ongoing technical assistance from NGA staff, the National Association of System Heads, the U.S. Education Delivery Institute, and other national experts.
For more information about the National Governors Association's leadership role in the CCSS Initiative, visit: www.nga.org/cms/center/edu.
Contact: Anne Moultrie
Phone: 301.445.2722
Email: amoultrie@usmd.edu