The recently completed 1996 National Education Summit placed new emphasis on the role of states in implementing the high academic standards needed in order for the Nation's schools to prepare young people for the jobs of the future. The Summit was attended by Governors, business leaders, teachers, school superintendents, and parents. It resulted in a commitment by states to begin work in putting in place both (a) demanding academic standards and (b) assessment methods necessary to measure achievement of these standards.
The Nation's Governors agreed that, within two years, they would establish state standards that would reflect new, higher academic goals for all elementary and secondary school students. Business leaders pledged to support the Governors by requiring academic transcripts, portfolios or certificates of mastery from new high school graduates seeking jobs.
The Summit also called for an independent entity to assess states' progress toward attaining higher standards. A non-governmental entity would gauge progress, including comparisons among states, and would help to strengthen accountability for reaching educational goals.
What's New on the 'Net
What's New on the Net identifies Internet sites that provide information about the National Education Summit and relate to the establishment of standards in various academic subjects.
1996 National Education Summit
Developing Educational Standards
Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
Daily Report Card (Education Commission of the States and National Educational Goals Panel)
National Council of Teachers of English
National Geography Standards
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards Page
National Science Education Standards (National Academy of Sciences)
Benchmarks for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
National Standards for United States History
National Standards for World History