SUNY Board of Trustees Supports Common Core State Education Standard
May 7, 2014
Albany – The State University of New York Board of Trustees today passed a resolution in support of the Common Core State Standards, citing the measure’s potential to better prepare the next generations of SUNY students and decrease the need for remediation in college.
“Forty-six percent of the state’s high school graduates who attend college in New York enroll at SUNY each year, and far too many are simply not ready,” said Board Chairman H. Carl McCall. “SUNY has a vested interest in the advancement of higher standards brought on by the Common Core. The better prepared students are to take on college-level work, the more successful they will be in college and career.”
“The Common Core Standards raise the bar for educators and students, and in today’s competitive and increasingly global economy, anything less would be a disservice to our youth,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “The Common Core will have a significant and lasting impact on student comprehension and achievement while re-positioning our state – and ultimately, our nation – as a global leader in education. It is critical that New York come together on the effective implementation of the Common Core, so that the state’s students are not left behind.”
Approximately half of all students at SUNY’s community colleges enroll in at least one remedial course, costing the system an estimated $70 million per year.
SUNY remains committed to supporting a cradle-to-career approach to education in communities across the state, in partnership with K-12 districts and all those with a stake in the education of today’s youth. Through the SUNY Teacher and Leader Education Network (S-TEN), SUNY has established regional partnerships state-wide to provide professional development on the Common Core to K-12 teachers and school leaders as well as its community college faculty.
About the Common Core Standards
Forty-four states including New York have adopted the Common Core Standards to provide students with the skills they need for success in college and career. The Common Core Standards guide states in their efforts to strengthen curricula, evaluate proficiency earlier, and address areas of concern before students fall too far behind.
The standards are national, but allow for the addition of up to 15 percent more standards in each subject area to accommodate each state’s priorities and preferences. The Common Core sets expectations for what students need to know at each grade level, but does not prescribe how that information is conveyed. Local stakeholders remain responsible for developing curricula.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
Share this:
Holly Liapis
518-320-1311
Email the Office of Communications
