Thinkprogress:
Education Week reported that 46 states have agreed to join forces to create common academic standards in math and English language arts through an effort led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. A primary goal of the initiative is to “eliminate the patchwork of academic standards across the country that result in students in the same grades learning different things in different states.”
In Mississippi, for instance, 90 percent of fourth-graders passed the state reading exam in 2007, according to U.S. Department of Education data. But only 51 percent had at least “basic” or “partial mastery” on the test known as the Nation’s Report Card.
Republican Governors Sarah Palin of Alaska and Mark Sanford of South Carolina - the same governors who postured to reject millions of education stimulus funds - are among the four governors refusing to join the initiative. In a press release Palin said:
Alaska’s decision not to participate until after we monitor this is based on our desire to spend our time and public resources to improve instruction in the classroom and to form productive relationships between schools and the communities they serve.
On a side note: Alaska and South Carolina are ranked D in academic achievement.
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