Dive Summary:
- In an interview with the Associated Press, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said children could notice several changes as they start the new school year, including a more well-rounded curriculum with less focus on a single test, higher academic standards and continued cuts to extracurricular activities due to the economy.
- Duncan said implementing the Common Core standards--a set of uniform benchmarks for math and reading--could result in a greater emphasis on critical thinking, and that state waivers for No Child Left Behind should create a focus on a larger range of academic goalposts.
- Duncan also praised individual accountability plans for student performance and achievement coming from states that were waived from parts of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, saying that such plans could help Congress come up with a comprehensive plan to fix the law, which both sides of the aisle agree is broken.
From the article:
Monday, August 6, 2012 A more well-rounded curriculum with less focus on a single test. Higher academic standards and more difficult classwork. Continued cuts to extracurricular and other activities because of the tough economy. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says those are some of the changes and challenges that children could notice as they start the new school year. Several significant reforms have taken place over the past three years. ...
