The National Governors’ Association has created a task force to determine what essential skills the schools should be teaching.
Gov. Terry E. Branstad of Iowa, the newly elected chairman of the n.g.a., named Govs. Carroll A. Campbell of South Carolina and Bill Clinton of Arkansas to head the new panel. Their appointment was announced at the n.g.a.'s annual meeting in Chicago this summer.
The panel will focus its attention first on the education summit to be held later this month with President Bush, officials said. (See story on page 1.)
It will then turn its energy to a yearlong study of the skills students need to have mastered to be internationally competitive.
At their annual meeting, the governors also adopted three education policy statements. The statements:
Called for the U.S. Education Department to help states and localities examine choice and magnet-school options for public schools.
Encouraged state education policymakers to develop comprehensive “minority student postsecondary education plans.”
Supported the development of community-service programs in schools.
