CCER Tells State Board of Education: Support the Recommendations of the Common Core Task Force

New Haven, Connecticut – On June 26th, the Educators’ Common Core Implementation Taskforce submitted its final report to Governor Malloy, listing recommendations for improving statewide implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Today, Common Core implementation was a topic of discussion at the meeting of the State Board of Education. Jeffrey Villar, executive director of the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER), released the following statement in response:

“The Common Core State Standards are right for our students, for our teachers, and for our future. Instead of spending time fighting the process of implementation, we now need to be collaborating to do it properly.

“That’s why CCER was pleased to see that membership on the Educator’s Common Core Implementation Task force represented all of our important stakeholders including, school administrations and teachers. I have written and testified many times in the past year about the importance of collaboration among stakeholders. If we are trying to make real, systemic changes, we need to do it collaboratively.

“The Task Force recommends establishing a clear and consistent understanding across the state as to what the standards should look like in the classroom and how they should impact instruction. They recognize the importance of providing effective training and job-embedded professional development so that our educators can transition smoothly. The Task force has recommended that we communicate across the state about the Common Core in a manner that keeps all stakeholders engaged in a jargon-free and informative discussion. And lastly, the Task Force has recommended ensuring that districts and schools have sufficient resources to navigate this transition.

“We see these recommendations as the foundation for a rubric to ensure that Connecticut effectively implements the new standards. Proper implementation across the state will require careful strategic planning, and these recommendations are a step in the right direction. They seek to involve the Connecticut State Department of Education and each district and community in the hard work of careful implementation, and they identify critical actions that will lead to success.

“As our districts continue their ongoing work of implementing the Common Core State Standards, I urge all interested parties to consider these recommendations and to prioritize the long-term goal of raising achievement over the short-term struggles of implementation. Our students deserve nothing less.”

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About the Connecticut Council for Education Reform

The Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER)–a statewide, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) not- for-profit organization–works to close the achievement gap and raise academic outcomes for all students in Connecticut. The achievement gap is the disparity in academic achievement between children from low-income families and children of color, and their peers. We advocate for state policies and local practices that research shows have the best chance of raising achievement for high-need student populations.

For more information on CCER, go to www.ctedreform.org