The new standards were written to address the harsh realities for poor
performance of American students across all grades levels, k-12.
According to NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) data,
more than 60% of our students in grades 4, 8, and 12 are not proficient
readers and the United States is one of the lowest performing in
mathematics. The statistics are even more staggering for our children
who live in poverty, students with disabilities and English Language
Learners. The new standards have sent a clear message: all students must
be engaged deeper learning. This deeper level of understanding and
comprehension is communicated through a more sophisticated and
independent level of applied literacy skills. In this book, some of our
leading educators envision the standards as a vehicle to provide more
rigorous instruction and illustrate how teachers are uniquely qualified
to determine the most effective methods for developing students' skills
and close the achievement gap.