WASHINGTON, DC--On June 1, the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO) released the names of the states and territories that are committed to joining a state-led process to develop a common core of state standards in English-language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. In response, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, issued the following statement:

"These states have just taken a major step to truly being able to tell their students they are getting a world class education. The U.S. Olympic teams train to the best standards in the world; now most of our nation's governors want the same for their students. Math is the same from Manhattan to Montana, but what has been different is what students are expected to learn. Now most of the states are saying they want their students to be educated to the top world standard. The United States is finally getting ready to compete in the academic Olympics.

"The need for common standards is especially urgent given that so many of the nation's poor and minority students are forced to learn in classrooms with low expectations and a low chance of success. This reality is evidenced by the fact that roughly half of minority students graduate, while high school students from the wealthiest families are about seven times as likely to complete high school as their classmates from the poorest. By 2050, half of our population will be comprised of minority populations. From a civil rights and economic perspective, we can no longer afford to ignore the education needs of the fastest-growing populations in this country.

"Evidence has emerged on the essential skills that all students need to be prepared to succeed in colleges and careers. It is vital that the common standards that result from this process reflect these skills and are fewer, clearer, higher, and internationally benchmarked. Following this evidence base will also help states avoid political pressures that may seek to lower or broaden these standards. The Alliance has been a part of this effort since the beginning and looks forward to continuing its work with NGA, CCSSO, and the other partners to continue to inform and assist the common state standards process."

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The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington-based policy, research, and advocacy organization that works to make every child a graduate, prepared for postsecondary education and success in life.

For more information about the Alliance for Excellent Education, please visit http://www.all4ed.org.