Ohio ASCD - Ohio Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

- News & Views
- Journal Aricles

	Position Statements

	In 2004, ASCD adopted four position statements. Three of the four statements have been outlined below. For a complete descripton of each statement, visit ASCD action center.

		Closing the Achievement Gap For all students to excel academically and thrive as individuals, we must raise the bar and provide them with the access to high-quality learning, curriculum, and instruction. Educators, policymakers, and the public must understand the grave consequences of persistent gaps in student achievement and demand that addressing these gaps becomes a policy and funding priority. ASCD believes that to close the achievement gap, all underserved populations—high-poverty students, students with special learning needs, students of different cultural backgrounds, nonnative speakers, and urban and rural students—must have access to: Innovative, engaging, and challenging coursework (with academic support) that builds on the strengths of each learner and enables students to develop to their full potential; High-quality teachers supported by ongoing professional development; and Additional resources for strengthening schools, families, and communities.

		Multiple Measures of Assessment Decision makers in education—students, parents, educators, community members, and policymakers—all need timely access to information from many sources if they are to make informed judgments about student learning and the success of education programs. Using a single achievement test as the sole measure of learning is inappropriate. Determining success of students, schools, districts, states/provinces, or nations should be based on multiple assessments of and for learning.

		The Whole Child The current direction in educational practice and policy focuses overwhelmingly on academic achievement. However, academic achievement is but one element of student learning and development and only a part of any complete system of educational accountability. ASCD believes a comprehensive approach to learning recognizes that successful young people are knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, motivated, civically inspired, engaged in the arts, prepared for work and economic self-sufficiency, and ready for the world beyond their own borders.