FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Steve Berlin
January 22, 2010 703-740-4840
David Dennis to Serve on National Task Force
On Education and the Military
Arlington, VA – The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is pleased to announce that David Dennis, a member of the Kansas State Board of Education, has been selected to serve on a year-long NASBE study group—Common Ground: Education and the Military Meeting the Needs of Students—to examine the skills and knowledge youths need to become strong students and leaders as they transition from post-secondary education to the next phase of their lives.
The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) conducts annual study groups to provide professional development to members of State Boards of Education, set organizational direction and priorities, and inform the state education policymaking process on key issues. As chairman of the 2010 national study group, Dennis will meet with other state board members, researchers, and policy analysts to delve into areas in which educators and the military have shared goals, and examine how specific curricula and assessment programs developed by and for the military may be adapted to improve public education. Common Ground is about exploring every option available as boards explore how to best help students develop into accomplished, confident and productive high school graduates.
The 2010 study on examining the coordination between K-12 education and the military to meet the needs of the youths will explore several key issues including:
· Build a comprehensive understanding of post-secondary choices for students;
· Improving graduation rates;
· Improving the health and fitness of high school students;
· Expanded career exploration/assessment and test preparation resources for educators and students; and
· Elevating the need for well-trained teachers, particularly in the areas of science and mathematics.
The study group will issue a comprehensive report in October 2010 at the NASBE Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, UT. The group’s policy recommendations will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders including members of Congress, federal officials, governors, chief state school officers, local education policymakers, and the education and military communities.
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The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America's state and territorial boards of education. NASBE exists to strengthen State Boards as the preeminent educational policymaking bodies for citizens and students. For more, visit www.nasbe.org.