States will soon be able to benchmark their K-12 education systems to those of top-performing nations. The work to provide such a roadmap is an effort of three organizations, The National Governors Association (NGA), Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and Achieve, Inc.

An International Benchmarking Advisory Group consisting of education experts representing education institutions, the business community, researchers, former federal officials and current state and local officials will guide the work. The Advisory Group's expertise and experience will help the partner organizations identify the need for international comparisons as well as provide guidance for benchmarking state education system practices in areas such as standards, accountability, educator workforce and assessments.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Craig Barrett, chair of the board at Intel Corporation, co-chair the advisory group.

"The most recent results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show U.S. students finished 21st in science skills and 25th in mathematics skills," said Gov. Napolitano. "In a globally competitive world, the U.S. must do better. We need students capable of competing for high-paying jobs with students from top-performing countries."

"As governors, we must have consistent, comparable data in order to make informed decisions about our state's education system," said Gov. Perdue. "Benchmarking will help us identify the qualities and characteristics that make up the education systems that best prepare students for success. Understanding these policies give us the option of incorporating the best of them into our own educational structure."

"The United States needs workers whose knowledge, skills and talents are competitive with the best in the world. This international benchmarking effort will ensure that we are moving in that direction," said Barrett. "All our students need the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to handle the complex challenges of the 21st century if the U.S. is going to maintain its competitive edge."

In November, members of the Advisory Group and the partner organizations will release a report about this critical issue and offer steps to take that will ensure state education systems exceed the best in the world.

Source: NGA Press Release: Top State Education Policy Organizations Form Expert Advisory Group on International Benchmarking

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