As a member of the Learning First Alliance, ASCD participated in the 1999 National Education Summit, which was held in Palisades, N.Y., from September 30 through October 1. The goals of the Summit, which was attended by U.S. educators, governors, and business leaders, were to set the agenda for education reform for the next century and to accelerate the pace of improvement in U.S. schools. ASCD President Joanna Choi Kalbus and Executive Director Gene Carter represented ASCD at the Summit.
After the Summit meeting, ASCD issued a statement affirming that "we believe all educators should be expected to learn and grow throughout their careers. In return, the public and its representatives should provide the resources necessary to carry out lifelong professional development." The ASCD statement also expressed support for high standards and accountability as "critical elements in school reform" but stipulated that "assessment in the 21st century must use many different approaches to measure and validate teaching and learning" and that standards "must be accompanied by policies that guarantee adequate resources for less well-funded communities to implement mandated standards." The statement was based on the two official positions that ASCD adopted in 1999.
For the full text of ASCD's statement, and other information about the Summit, go to http://www.ascd.org/today/ascd-summit-statement.html.