ETS, National Urban League To Discuss Impact Of Common Core State Standards On Underserved Communities

PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Implementation of the Common Core State Standards and assessments will offer many challenges to educators and students, but none more so than to historically underserved communities, many of whom lack resources. On February 9, the National Urban League and Educational Testing Service (ETS) will meet at ETS to discuss these issues and consider strategies to succeed with the new standards and assessments. The symposium, titled "Taking Action: Navigating the Common Core State Standards and Assessments," is the third in a series of " Saturdays at ETS" conferences, and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Chauncey Conference Center in Princeton, N.J.

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"Implementation of the Common Core State Standards and assessments promises to improve the quality of education in the nations' schools and has the potential to contribute to strengthening curricula and help close achievement gaps," says Michael T. Nettles, Senior Vice President and Edmund W. Gordon Chair of ETS's Policy Evaluation and Research Center. "But, we must answer some important questions. How can we use the new standards and assessments to strengthen education for underserved students in our poorest schools and communities? How can we engage the entire community in understanding and supporting the improvements expected from the Common Core initiative? And how can ensure that teaching, learning and assessment are implemented thoroughly and fairly for all those involved?"

The goals of the "Saturdays at ETS" series are to:

• highlight leading ideas and research on the key elements of a timely education policy topic
• consider changes in policies and practices that can provide a springboard for improvements
• provide focus on underperforming students and parental engagement
• identify the resources needed to eliminate barriers and support academic success

To attend this event, please register here. 

About ETS

At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL ^® and TOEIC ^® tests, the GRE ^® tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

SOURCE Educational Testing Service

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