Working from the belief that teachers are the most important in-school factor for student success, the study group held that state policies should ensure that all teachers meet high professional standards before receiving a license, participate in a high-quality induction program once on the job, and continue learning and growing throughout their careers.

Community, higher education, and business partnerships are often touted as critical links to helping students graduate from high school and making sure that they are college- and career-ready when they do. Now a panel of state board of education members from across the country has found common ground for partnerships with the country’s single largest employer: the military.

Findings from a National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) study group, Next Generation Learning: Transforming the Role of Educators Today for the Students of Tomorrow, call for a reexamination of how America not only looks at teaching, but whether teachers are given even adequate professional development to keep up with the ever-changing demands of society on their students.

A report, released in October 2010, from a National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) study group, No Time to Wait: Creating Contemporary School Structures for Students Today and Tomorrow, concludes that for the U.S. to prosper and compete in the 21st century, the education system will need to change its goals and practices so all students may succeed. That is, as information has become ubiquitous, schools need to emphasize 21st century skills such as analyzing, synthesizing, and creating along with understanding and applying the basics.

Our assessment systems must not only measure what students know, they must be able to provide educators and students with useful feedback for improving teaching and learning. Recommendations cover specific steps states should take in the areas of both standardized tests and classroom-based formative assessments, accountability, and much-needed training for educators in developing and using the results of assessments.

Partners in Prevention: The Role of School-Community Partnerships in Dropout Prevention investigates the linkages between students at risk of dropping out, their families, and the communities where they live. Sections of the report are devoted to examining the association between community and students’ ultimate decision to drop, explaining why community partnerships are a vital component of preventing dropout, providing a “best practices” guide for developing strategic partnerships, and providing recommendations for action with abundant state examples.

State education leaders are calling for the complete integration of career and technical education programs into the middle and high school curricula as a means to offer all students a range of learning experiences that encompass academic, career and 21st century skills. The recommendation comes from a year-long study of the state of career technical education (CTE) in American education reform by state board of education members. The report, Learning to Work, Working to Learn, is being published by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE).