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National Urban League Endorses Common Core State Standards – Huffington Post Feature Part II
Sixty years after the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the U.S. education system today still tells a story of two nations, one that is equipped to succeed, while the other is not. Underscoring how common academic standards help play a crucial role in closing the achievement gap and preparing children to compete and succeed in the 21st century economy Morial wrote:
“We will not be able to close the achievement gap if we continue to have different expectations for different students. All students should have access to college and career ready standards, but the Common Core State Standards alone cannot close the achievement gaps in our nation. Achieving equity and excellence in education requires an approach which also includes reducing income inequality and poverty, equalizing public school funding, and supporting greater parental involvement.”
Under the current U.S. education system, large segments of the population graduate from high school woefully unprepared for college and/or a career. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that 16 percent of African American students possess a reading level at or above grade level compared to 44 percent of white students, creating a gap of 28 percent difference. Furthermore, concurrently the achievement gap between students in the United States, and their European and Asian peers is also widening.
CCSS aims to help address this achievement gap and prepare all students for college and careers regardless of zip code. A recent analysis indicates that the reported below average performance in areas such as math, can be addressed through the Common Core State Standards, since the CCSS math standards align with what other students are learning around the world.
To read the full blog post, click here: http://huff.to/1oTNhIK
