National PTA & Common Core State Standards

National PTA is uniquely positioned to be an influential and credible voice in advancing the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI). The CCSSI is a joint effort led by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers to develop a common core of K-12 standards in English language arts and Mathematics. The goal initiative is to develop internationally-benchmarked standards that ensure all students are held to consistent expectations that will prepare them for college and career.

To date, over 45 states have adopted the standards, in addition to the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoan Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and the Anchorage, AK School District.

National PTA Position

National PTA volunteers have adopted several position statements and resolutions, beginning in 1981, in support of voluntary, clearer, higher academic standards for all students. National PTA’s position statement on Education Emphasis covers PTA’s position on voluntary standards. Specifically:

·           National PTA supports nationally agreed upon voluntary standards if they are derived by consensus at the state and local levels. Parents must be involved in this process.

·           National PTA opposes federal legislation and/or regulations that mandate standardized testing or would lead to such testing, as well as federal policies that mandate comparisons of states, school districts, or individual schools and student retention based on a single test or sole criterion and the practice of social promotion.

·           National PTA believes that valid assessment does not consist of only a single test score, and that at no time should a single test be considered the sole determinant of a student's academic or work future.