Triangle Coalition For Science And Technology Education

Last Thursday, President Obama announced that 10 states – Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Tennessee – will receive waivers, exempting them from meeting specific requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Flexibility is only being granted to those states that requested waivers and meet the Administration’s prerequisites. For example, states must have already adopted and developed plans to implement college and career-ready standards in reading and math. States must also create comprehensive principal development and teacher evaluation systems that include factors beyond test scores, such as principal observation, peer review, student work, or parent and student feedback.

States receiving waivers no longer have to meet the deadline that all students reach proficiency in math and reading by 2014. States must, instead, set new performance targets for improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps. They also must have accountability systems that reward high-performing schools as well as those making significant gains in student achievement. States will develop their own intervention strategies to turn around the lowest performing schools and to help subgroups of students with the greatest needs.

An eleventh state, New Mexico has also requested a waiver, and twenty-eight other states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have indicated that they, too, intend to seek waivers before the next deadline later this month.

In a White House announcement Thursday, the President said that NCLB is driving the wrong behaviors, from teaching to the test to federally determined, one-size-fits-all interventions.

“After waiting far too long for Congress to reform No Child Left Behind, my Administration is giving states the opportunity to set higher, more honest standards in exchange for more flexibility,”  said President Obama. “Today, we’re giving 10 states the green light to continue making reforms that are best for them.  Because if we’re serious about helping our children reach their potential, the best ideas aren’t going to come from Washington alone. “

The President, once again, called on Congress to work across the aisle to find a long-term solution as the waivers provide just a temporary fix to the current version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), NCLB, which expired five years ago. Over the last year, both the House and Senate have worked on their own versions of ESEA rewrites, and the Obama administration submitted its own “Blueprint for Reform,” but there has yet to be bipartisan consensus  on any reauthorization plan.

Expressing disappointment with the President’s waiver decision, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Ranking Member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said “This action clearly politicizes education policy, which historically has been a bipartisan issue. It is time for the president to work with Congress on important issues like this, instead of acting unilaterally.”

House Introduces ESEA Legislation

At the same time, the House Education and the Workforce Committee continued to move forward with its own plan for ESEA as Chairman John Kline (R-MN) introduced two pieces of legislation last Thursday. The Student Success Act (H.R. 3989) and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act (H.R. 3990) address accountability provisions, or Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), with state-developed accountability systems, local teacher evaluation systems, and flexibility with the use of federal funds.

Chairman Kline said, “The administration’s waiver scheme provides just enough temporary relief to quiet the demand for lasting reform. Rest assured, my colleagues and I on the House Education and the Workforce Committee haven’t lost our sense of urgency. We must move forward and advance long-term solutions to the challenges facing the nation’s schools.”

Notably absent from the bills are any provisions for strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In fact, the Student Success Act removes the current requirement for state testing in science.  The bill summary reads, “To reduce the burden of over-testing on our nation’s students, the bill eliminates the federal requirement that states administer assessments in science. States would retain the option to develop assessments in science and other subjects at their discretion.”

Additionally, the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act would eliminates more than 70 existing elementary and secondary education programs which appears to include the Department of Education’s Math and Science Partnerships program (Title II, Part B).

The Committee on Education and the Workforce plans to hold a hearing on these two bills on Thursday, February 16.

Resources

• To find out more about the Student Success Act, read the EdWorkforce bill summary or fact sheet. Resources are also available for the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act, including a bill summary and fact sheet.
• For more information on the NCLB waivers, visit http://www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility or read the White House Blog Post, Everything You Need to Know: Waivers, Flexibility, and Reforming No Child Left Behind.
• The Department of Education has posted State waiver documents; including flexibility requests, peer review notes, and a summary of improvements at http://www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility/requests

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) plans to introduce his STEM Master Teacher Corp Amendment (S. 758) during next Tuesday’s Senate HELP Committee mark-up for its inclusion in the Reauthorization of ESEA. Triangle Coalition is submitting this letter of endorsement and requests that member organizations sign on as well to provide additional support for the legislation.

The STEM Master Teacher Corps Act will offer career advancement opportunities and higher pay to the top 5% of K-12 STEM teachers in a participating area. Corps members will, in turn, mentor other STEM teachers and share best practices with the STEM education community to improve the ability of all teachers to impart strong STEM skills and an eagerness to learn to their students. Corps members will also serve as role models for other STEM teachers, demonstrating the opportunity for continued professional growth if they stay in teaching. The bill is based on a proposal by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

To learn more about the bill, a one-page summary is available here.

View Sen. Franken’s press release here.

If your organization would like to sign on to the letter supporting this bill, please email Amanda Guelzow, guelzowa@triangle-coalition.org by Monday, October 17th at 5pm.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), released a draft bill this week to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), or No Child Left Behind. Throughout this year, both the House and Senate education committees have been holding hearings and requesting comments for changes in efforts towards reauthorizing ESEA, but this is the first sign of a comprehensive bill. Harkin has been negotiating the terms with Ranking Member Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) over the last several months and the committee is scheduled to hold a mark-up of the bill next week. View Chairman Harkin’s one-pager on ESEA here.

While the Senate is moving forward with its single bipartisan bill, the House is seeking to reauthorize the legislation through a piecemeal approach; having already introduced several individual bills with the feeling that consensus is easier to obtain on single issues than on the much larger package. Additionally, several GOP members of the Senate also began introducing their own set of individual ESEA bills last month. This will set up a challenging conference committee effort to reconcile the two approaches if something were to pass.

In the HELP Committee’s draft, provision for STEM can be found in the new Title IV-B (page 441), Improving Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Instruction and Student Achievement. Introduced last week by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) as S. 1675, the Improving STEM Instruction and Student Achievement program would amend the current Title II-B of NCLB, or the Mathematics and Science Partnership Program under the Department of Education, and would aim to:

• Improve student engagement in, and increase student access to, courses in STEM subjects;
• Recruit, train, and support highly-effective teachers in STEM subjects and providing robust tools and supports for students and teachers;
• Close student achievement gaps, and prepare more students to be on track to college and career readiness and success in these subjects.

Title IV-B would award grants to states through competitive grants unless the appropriation exceeds $500 million, in which case funds would be distributed through formula grants. These amendments as proposed in Title IV-B are consistent with the goals of Triangle Coalition for expanding and emphasizing STEM education, though we would favor a continuation of the formula grants to the states, at some level, especially during this time of critical need for professional development programs to support the Common Core Math Standards and Next Generation Science Standards implementation.

Upon the introduction of the legislation (S. 1675), co-sponsor Senator Gillibrand said, “America is home to the world’s strongest economy, the greatest colleges and universities, and the world’s brightest minds. But if we’re going to keep our place atop the global economy, we must prepare our students with the education they need for the jobs of the future. That starts with sparking more interest in math, science and technology, drawing more STEM teachers to educate students in high-need areas, and streamlining proficiency standards that hold us back. We are relying on our children today to be the innovators of tomorrow. It’s our job to make sure they are prepared.”

The Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) could soon be replaced with a new program that would provide states the option to include technology and engineering in K-12 education.

In his FY 2012 budget, President Obama proposed replacing the $180 million MSP with a $206 million comprehensive STEM program. Shortly thereafter, the Effective STEM Teaching and Learning Act of 2011 (S. 463) was introduced by Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) and currently has five co-sponsors.

The legislation is intended to replace the U.S. Department of Education Mathematics and Science Partnerships (part B of title II) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with a program entitled Effective Teaching and Learning: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The Effective STEM Teaching and Learning Act has similar goals to the MSP program, but would target funds to students in high-need districts and states through competitive grants, rather than the traditional formula grants. It would also encourage states to include technology and engineering in K-12 education and grant priority to states that have adopted and are implementing college-and-career-ready standards.

While Triangle Coalition supports the bill’s inclusion of technology and engineering education, the competitive grant structure is a point of concern as it could mean that some states, including some with very effective MSP programs, will be at risk and may lose funding. The recent competitive programs, Race to the Top and i3, give us some insight into the difficulties states, particularly rural states, have in these types of competitions.

The bill, as introduced, would require state grantees to use at least 80% of funds for competitive subgrants to STEM partnerships between districts and other community-based organizations. These subgrants would have to be used to implement high-quality, evidence-based, comprehensive, and coherent STEM programs in high-need schools. The programs must include professional development; program monitoring; and curriculum, instructional materials, and assessment systems that are aligned with state standards.

The rest of the grant money would be allocated for STEM activities at the state-level.

“Graduating from high school prepared for college and careers in this new economy means having a solid grounding in STEM,” said Sen. Begich in a statement on this legislation. “But those subjects are not just for future scientists and engineers. A STEM education is essential preparation for all students – in order to help them succeed and keep our nation competitive.”

We applaud Senator Begich for his leadership in STEM education and for taking steps towards the promotion of sound STEM education programs through this bill, as well as by recently co-sponsoring the Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act (S. 969).

We also urge the Senate to explore the possibility of allowing a percentage of funds to be distributed under block grant formulas to the states to support the continuation of existing, or the implementation of proven programs at the state level. The remaining, smaller percentage of funds could then be set aside for competitive grants to states or districts, working in conjunction with partners, such as institutions of higher education or non-profit organizations, to attempt bold new initiatives with promise for not only success, but also replication and dissemination.This letter to Senator Begich further describes the recommendations that Triangle Coalition has for S. 463.

Triangle Coalition is looking for organizations to endorse these recommendations. If your organization would like to submit a letter, sign on to this letter, or provide other feedback to Sen. Begich on this bill, please respond to Triangle Coalition, guelzowa@triangle-coalition.org.

Last week, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) introduced a bill in the House that would completely eliminate over half of the federal education programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind. The Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act (H.R. 1891) is co-sponsored by Rep. John Kline (R-MN) and Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) and is the first of a series of bills that the House Education Committee will introduce to address ESEA.

The 43 programs targeted in this legislation have been dubbed unnecessary, wasteful, or redundant by the GOP-controlled Education Committee. View the full list of eliminated programs here. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education fans should take note that only one technology program, Ed-Tech, would be affected.

The Committee cites the following as the reason for eliminating Ed-Tech:

“Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed-Tech): provides grants to State Educational Agencies (SEAs) to help elementary and secondary school students become “technologically literate.” The program received $267.5 million in FY 2008, $269.9 million in FY 2009, and $100 million in FY 2010. Funding for Ed-Tech was eliminated in the final FY 2011 budget. OMB’s 2005 PART evaluation determined the program failed to provide data to “determine the program’s impact on improving student achievement.’”

When introducing the bill, Rep. Hunter said, “It’s time to trim the fat. Today I will introduce legislation that will eliminate – not consolidate, not defund, but eliminate –  43 wasteful K-12 education programs.”

Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) expressed his support saying, “Federal education spending has more than quadrupled since 1980, but student achievement levels remain stagnant. Clearly, the problem isn’t how much money we spend on education, but how we’re spending it – and right now, far too many taxpayer dollars are dedicated to ineffective, redundant K-12 programs. Rep. Hunter’s legislation will reduce the federal role in education and help set the stage for increased flexibility on the state and local level.”

While the Obama administration has been pushing for a swift overhaul of ESEA, the President has also made clear that he wants to see more investment in education, not less.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Education Committee, not surprisingly, commented, “The Republican education bill introduced today will not help move our education system to the 21st century and it won’t mean better outcomes for our students….This bill won’t ensure our students are ready for college or for a career. I believe we have to do better.”

Over in the Senate, members of the HELP committee continue to discuss the most important parts of ESEA and are expected to produce a comprehensive bipartisan bill soon.

Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate are in the process of working on a bipartisan reform of the nation’s primary federal education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). In March, the Obama Administration released a blueprint for overhauling ESEA (see our March 15th post) and since then, the education committees in the House and Senate have been holding hearings to examine the various issues addressed under ESEA. No official piece of legislation has been introduced yet and at this point, it is hard to say when that might happen.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) have both stressed that flexibility and accountability will be central themes of the reauthorization. In an interview with Politico last Friday, Miller discussed the ESEA reauthorization, saying, “We’d really like now to put more emphasis on better teachers, more emphasis on better leadership, more emphasis on the use of those resources and the flexible use of those resources, and really put teaching and learning and leadership back into the classroom, back into the local systems, and then stand back and hold them accountable for those results, and we’re getting a lot of encouragement as we’ve held our hearings.” 

In the House committee hearing last week on school improvement, witnesses advised that successful school turnaround requires the inclusion of research-and-best-practice-based elements, including flexibility, shared leadership, professional development, capacity building, extended school and learning time, and community involvement. Witnesses also stressed that ultimately flexibility and a comprehensive approach are vital to successful school turnaround. Chairman Miller announced that he would take these elements into account and create a new plan for school turnaround for inclusion in ESEA.

The following day, Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) introduced a new framework of school improvement grants, called Strengthening Our Schools (SOS) that included the measures suggested during the hearing. “In the upcoming ESEA Reauthorization I will be pushing for a complete revision of school improvement grants that is based on Strengthening Our Schools,” said Rep. Chu, whose plan is supported by AFT, NEA, PTA, the National Association of School Psychologists, and other groups. “As a Member of the Committee on Education and Labor, I plan to work with Chairman Miller on school turnaround and push for this framework to be adopted in ESEA Reauthorization.”

According to Rep. Chu’s website, the plan would promote flexibility and collaboration between schools, parents, community leaders, businesses and other stakeholders; provide support to students facing crisis, both inside and outside of the classroom, by offering mental health services for behavioral problems, ESL resources and other wrap-around services; and giving teachers the tools they need to reconnect with disengaged students and help improve performance through personalized teacher training and specialized instructional support. School closure would be strictly a last resort.

As part of the ongoing series of hearings, other recent topics of discussion in the House Committee on Education and Labor include supporting quality teachers and leaders, using data to inform educational outcomes, and the needs of diverse students. Recent hearing held by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions have discussed several issues related to ESEA, including standards and assessments, the needs of special populations, secondary schools, and student health, physical education and well-being. The Senate committee will congregate again this week to examine Early Childhood Education in ESEA.

Photo: Rep. George Miller, Courtesy of House Committee on Education and Labor’s Photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/34120602@N05

T&E Policy – Calls to Action
Free Webinar and Conference Call

Thursday, March 25, 2010
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. EST

Hosted by:
International Technology & Engineering Educators Association
National Center for Technological Literacy at the Museum of Science, Boston

Background:
The Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act was recently introduced in the U.S. Congress and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently known as No Child Left Behind) is now up for discussion and reauthorization. Learn about steps that you can take to help raise the profile of Technology & Engineering education in STEM and other important public policy.

Agenda:
1. T&E Policy Landscape – Patti Curtis, NCTL/MOS
2. Basics of Contacting Policy Makers – Dave Janosz, ITEA/NJTEA
3. Calls to Action for the E2 for Innovation Act and ESEA Reauthorization
4. Questions & Answers

Access:
Participants can access visual presentations and sample letters online during the webinar.

Webinar URL:
http://connect.nvnet.org/e2webinar/

Please note that many school and company firewalls may block access to the online meeting space. Therefore, a parallel conference call will be used for the audio portion of the presentation.

Conference Call Information:
Dial-in Number: 218-339-4300
Access Code: 515236#

RSVP:
Not required to attend, but please register ahead of time to help us plan:
http://doodle.com/kct347rbrawhtqsc  

Triangle Coalition member, the National Center for Technological Literacy, is one of the organizations that has been spearheading the efforts to support the Engineering Education (E2) for Innovation Act, which was recently introduced in both the House and the Senate(H.R. 4709, S. 3043).

With hearings currently underway for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), supporters for the E2 bill are seeking to have it included as part of the STEM initiative under ESEA. See below a draft of the recommendations to insert the E2 bill, and technology and engineering more fully, into STEM provisions of the ESEA reauthorization discussion.

Triangle Coalition is proud to support this bill. For more information or to sign on in support of this bill, please contact Triangle Coalition.

DRAFT

TO: House Education & Labor Committee
DT: March 26, 2010
FR: the undersigned…
RE: Reauthorization of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act

Recommendations to help develop a highly skilled STEM workforce to ensure the United States’ competitiveness and leadership in the global economy

In September 2009, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council released a report entitled Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects. The report studied K-12 engineering curricula and instructional practices. It stressed the need for common definitions and grade-level appropriate goals, as well as more research on the impacts of engineering education and potential models for implementation.

As a result, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4709, the Engineering Education for Innovation Act (E2 for Innovation Act) to further these recommendations through implementation of K-12 engineering education and related evaluation research. In general, this legislation would authorize the Secretary of Education to competitively award planning and implementation grants for educational agencies to integrate engineering education into K-12 curriculum and instruction. It also funds the research and evaluation of such efforts. Specifically, the E2 for Innovation Act would:

• Integrate engineering education into K-12 instruction by designing challenging content and curricula frameworks and assessments that include engineering;

• Increase engineering and technology teacher preparation programs and recruit qualified teachers to provide engineering education in high-need schools;

• Increase student achievement in STEM subjects and knowledge and competency in engineering design skills;

• Promote aspirations for a career in engineering among diverse student populations, especially among girls and underrepresented minorities;

• Invest in afterschool engineering education programs; and

• Promote partnerships among K-12 school administrators and teachers and engineering professionals.

Accordingly, we recommend that H.R. 4079 be included as part of the STEM initiative under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to ensure that federal K-12 education policy catalyzes the development of a highly skilled STEM workforce which will ensure our competitiveness and leadership in the global economy.

Furthermore, we believe it is critical that provisions under ESEA enhance teacher and student knowledge of Technology* and Engineering so that we can inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and innovators. Therefore, we also recommend that reauthorization of ESEA:

1. Expand and rename the “Math and Science Partnerships” to “STEM Partnerships” to include Technology and Engineering educators in professional development opportunities for teachers;

2. Include Technology and Engineering instruction, in addition to Math and Science, in any new provisions dealing with college and career ready standards, core curriculum development, the definition of rigorous curricula, and expanded learning time;

3. Encourage State science assessments to reflect the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Science 2009 Framework, which includes technological design skills;

4. Help States prepare for the new online NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment due in 2014 by encouraging States to develop assessment indicators to related to Technology and Engineering for accountability purposes;

5. Allow informal STEM education centers and other non-profit educational organizations to receive federal funds to provide teacher professional development; and,

6. Encourage after school program funds to be used for Technology and Engineering learning, in addition to Math and Science activities.

* It is important to note that Technology Education is not the same as Educational Technologies (i.e. computers and digital communication tools in the classroom). Technology & Engineering Education involves the application of math and science knowledge and skills in open-ended, hands-on, problem-solving, and engineering design challenges.

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

Respectfully submitted by,

National Center for Technological Literacy  

Today, President Obama sent to Congress his blueprint for the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). According to the President, the blueprint is not only a plan to rewrite the “flawed” current version, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), but provides a framework for a “re-envisioned federal role in education.” The priorities of the plan include: rewarding excellence, raising the bar for standards, strengthening teachers and school leaders, closing achievement gaps, promoting innovation and continuous improvement, and increasing flexibility — as well as accountability — at the local and state level.

In his weekly address on Saturday (see video below), President Obama discussed the proposal and the administration’s vision for an ambitious goal, that “all students should graduate from high school prepared for college and a career- no matter who you are or where you come from.” Citing recent news of other nations surpassing the U.S. in education, Obama said, “The fact is, there are few issues that speak more directly to our long term success as a nation than issues concerning the education we provide to our children.” By 2020, his goal is that the United States will once again lead the world in college completion.

This morning, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held a national press conference call with reporters to discuss the administration’s proposal. Duncan spoke of the sense of urgency coming from both sides of the aisle, as both Democrat and Republican lawmakers are requesting this blueprint and are currently engaging in discussions on education reform.

Duncan discussed how this ESEA reauthorization will differ from its current version, NCLB. First, he said that NCLB was too punitive, too prescriptive, and lowered the bar for students. The administration recognizes that the ESEA rewrite must reward excellence, focus on growth, increase flexibility, and include a well rounded curriculum across all grade levels. A huge emphasis is being placed on recognizing and rewarding schools for excellence and success- a fundamental change from the NCLB.

Duncan spoke about accountability in terms of three categories of schools: the highest performing, the middle performers, and the lowest level with the greatest achievement gaps. When it comes to intervening in the lowest performing schools, Duncan says the administration will use “carrots and sticks”, including school turnaround grants, to place pressure on these schools to improve. Rather than having the Federal government mandate the types of interventions that must be used in each school, state and local decision makers will have the flexibility of deciding how to meet their targets. The exception would be the bottom 5 percent of schools that would be forced to use one of the department’s turnaround models.

In NCLB, accountability for student achievement was entirely up to individual schools, but now, for the first time, districts and states will also share this responsibility, as well as the rewards and consequences. The 2014 deadline for school improvement will also go away with the new ESEA, and rather, states will set their own targets to align with new standards.

A series of hearings discussing the different components of ESEA is also in full-swing. This week, Arne Duncan will give testimony on Obama’s blueprint to committees in both the House and the Senate, and another hearing will address the needs of diverse students. Other hearings that have already taken place recently have discussed charter schools, heard testimony from Secretary Arne Duncan, and looked at the implications for the economy.

We anticipate that much more discussion on the reauthorization of ESEA will take place in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned for updates as new developments take place!

Yesterday, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) released the official draft of the K-12 Common Core State Standards, which will be open to public comment for the next three weeks. The process of developing these standards has been state led by the governors and chief state school officers in 48 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia, with input from a wide range of stakeholders- including educators, researchers, content experts, national organizations, and community groups.

The standards cover mathematics, English-language arts, and briefly, literacy in history, social studies and science and lay out grade-level specific goals, as well as college- and career- readiness standards. The CCSSO and NGA Center have said that once these standards are finalized, they will develop a set of common core standards in science and potentially other subject areas.

The standards are based on the following criteria:

• aligned with college and work expectations;
• clear, understandable and consistent;
• include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
• build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
• informed by other top performing countries;
• and evidence-and research-based.

National standards and college- and career- readiness have been an ongoing theme across the current initiatives of this administration, including Race to the Top, the ESEA rewrite, and within the President’s budget. While the Obama administration did not have a role in the drafting of the standards, both the President and Secretary Arne Duncan have avidly pushed for the development of a common, higher set of standards as part of an overall education reform agenda.