9-12

This month, the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc), in collaboration with 43 states and the District of Columbia, released a set of common standards for career and technical education (CTE).  The standards, known as the “Common Career Technical Core,” are designed to provide “a common benchmark for what students should know and be able to do after completing a [CTE] program of study.”  NASDCTEc hopes to universalize the standards through voluntary st

The United States has slipped from being the world leader in 25-to-34 year-olds with post-secondary degrees in the 1980’s to ranking 12th today.[1]  There are a number of helpful avenues to prepare students for their journey into and through their postsecondary education, and college access programs are one option that provide services ranging from financial counseling to college visits and test preparation.

Diplomas Count 2012, the 7^th edition of Education Week’s annual report highlighting high school graduation trends, was released on Friday, June 8^th at an event in Washington, DC, also viewed live online via webcast. This year’s report highlights Latino students and the urgency around addressing the needs of this population.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently released The Condition of Education 2012, a congressionally mandated annual report intended to help inform policymakers and the public about trends and conditions in U.S. education. This year’s report includes 49 indicators covering (1) participation in education, (2) elementary and secondary education and outcomes, and (3) postsecondary education and outcomes.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) hosted a Webinar, “Utilizing the Village: Building Community Support for Dropout Prevention and Recovery Work in Rural Communities.” It was the first in a series of three Webinars that will focus on dropout prevention and recovery efforts in rural areas. This presentation emphasized that dropout recovery and prevention efforts are not possible without community-wide support and a strong system in place to identify struggling students.

The California Department of Education, the National High School Center, and the California Comprehensive Center have been supporting numerous California districts and schools in implementing an Early Warning System through California’s Early Warning and Intervention System (EWIS) pilot project.

This blog is the fourth in a series of blogs by Mel Riddile, Associate Director for High School Services at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, on the principal’s role in implementing the Common Core State Standards.

School leaders should consider 10 keys to successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards:

This blog is the third in a series of blogs by Mel Riddile, Associate Director for High School Services at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, on the principal’s role in implementing the Common Core State Standards.

This blog is the second in a series of blogs by Mel Riddile, Associate Director for High School Services at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, on the principal’s role in implementing the Common Core State Standards.

“In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over.”—Tom Friedman

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are about more than the old average. The adoption of these standards means that all students are now on a pathway to college and career-readiness. CCSS represent a real and fundamental shift in instructional intent from high school completion to college and career readiness.