When something big like the new common standards emerges, lots of people rush to provide guidance on what the heck it’s all about. Joining that fray today, with parents in mind, is the National PTA.
Noting that the overwhelming majority of students now live in states that have adopted the common standards, the PTA released grade-by-grade parent guides for the standards at the K-8 levels and one each, in English and math, at the high school level. English and Spanish versions are available.
The idea behind the guides, PTA President Charles J. Saylors said in releasing them, is to help parents understand and discuss how they can be used to improve student achievement. They’re being distributed to local PTA chapters across the country, to encourage them to partner with states and districts in supporting the standards. The PTA is also holding a webinar about the common standards on Monday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
You might recall that the PTA is one of many groups receiving grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to work in support of the common standards. If you missed our story about the work of those groups, you can take a look here. (Full disclosure: Editorial Projects in Education, which publishes Education Week, also receives grant support from the Gates Foundation.)