In mid-January, the entire Academic Benchmarks team convened at the Cincinnati office to kick off the new year with a companywide meeting. For many team members, this meeting meant traveling across the country----often leaving behind warmer weather----to meet with their colleagues in person. Some staff favorites included an overview of standards and an in-depth look at new product features and services initiatives designed to make the AB experience even better. 2014 is poised to be an exciting year and we're excited to work with you.
Academic Benchmarks
|
Happy #CTEmonth
February is National CTE (Career Technology Education) Month! We've experienced an increase in demand for CTE standards and our collection has been consistently growing.
Is your company working on CTE focused materials? Let's talk!
|
Information Updates
We're fairly obsessive about keeping things up-to-date. In addition to making sure our standards database includes the latest updates, we like to make sure we have the latest information from our valued clients. In the next two weeks, you'll receive an email request to confirm your contact and company information. We appreciate your response!
|
Product Improvements
Speed Upgrade for Alignment Clients
Our development team has reengineered the snapshot process that generates predictive alignments making it significantly faster. This improvement means less delay when requesting alignment reports based on snapshot data.
|
Let's Talk!
Do you have a few moments to share your Academic Benchmarks experiences? We're working on some new materials to improve how we tell our story and would value your perspective. If you are willing, just reply to this email and we'll arrange a brief conversation.
|
Common Core common in State of the State Addresses
A new year means a flurry of State of the State addresses delivered by governors around the country. One of the most talked about topics was Common Core with perspectives ranging from fierce opposition to staunch advocacy. The Alliance for Excellent Education (@all4Ed) posted a roundup of many addresses in this article. Some highlights include: Idaho's Butch Otter (R) advocated Idaho Core Standards and termed "K through Career" as a new credo in advancing the state; and South Dakota's Dennis Daugaard reiterated his backing of Common Core. New York's Andrew Cuomo, who has been the focus on news recently, recommended "corrective action" in implementation. However, Indiana's Mike Pence, represents one of the strongest opposition to Common Core. Though it's not finalized, Pence assured Indiana residents that Common Core will not be in schools much longer. "They will be written by Hoosiers, for Hoosiers, and will be among the best in the nation." You can read more about Indiana's rejection of Common Core here, here and here. South Carolina's Nikki Haley holds a similar state-grown educational model as Indiana. You can read more here.
|
