Common Core State Standards: What about Student and Learning Supports?

This publication is devoted to clarifying the need for and offering a draft set of standards for a unified and comprehensive system of learning supports. This will give everyone another look at this critical and much neglected facet of education reform. The article aims to  generate greater understanding of what a truly unified and comprehensive approach encompasses and will stimulate discussion and action.

The state standards movement for education clearly is speeding along. Almost all states already have adopted common core standards for English and math. While still under discussion, facets of the model core teaching standards generated by the Council of Chief State School Officers already are reflected in various policy actions.

Given the accelerating policy attention to core standards, it is imperative to move forward quickly to develop a set of standards for student and learning supports and integrate them into the state standards movement for education. As long as school improvement discussions across the country are standards-based and accountability driven, establishing standards for student and learning supports is essential to moving the field from its current marginalized status to a high level priority.

View this issue in the link below in PDF format.