Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced last night that he’s making a big bet on the NGA and CCSSO Common State Standards initiative, putting up $350 million to fund the tests that will be used to assess those standards. He told the Associated Press:

Resources are important, but resources are actually a small piece of this puzzle. What’s really needed here is political courage. We need governors to continue to invest their energy and political capital.

To that end, he said in his speech:

The fact is–higher standards will make some of your states look bad in the short term–because fewer students will be meeting them.

So I will work with you to ensure that your states will not be penalized for doing the right thing.

And in reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, the administration will work with you and with Congress to change the law so that it rewards states for raising standards instead of encouraging states to lower them.

I always give NCLB credit for exposing the achievement gap but the central flaw in the law is that it was too loose about the goals and too tight about how to get there.

As states come together around higher common standards, I want to flip it – and be tighter about the goals – but more flexible in how you can meet them.

(Boy, that argument sounds familiar.)

And now about the assessments:

Our next step is to work together to find a better way to measure success – and that brings me to the real point of this speech–which is the assessments.

Once new standards are set and adopted you need to create new tests that measure whether students are meeting those standards. Tonight–I am announcing that the Obama administration will help pay for the costs of developing those tests.

As you know, we have $5 billion dollars in competitive grant funding under the Recovery Act to help advance these four reforms.

Congress carved out $650 million dollars for the What Works and Innovation fund – which is for districts and non-profits that are pushing reform.

The administration will dedicate up to $350 million in the remaining funds to help develop new assessments.

We haven’t worked out all the details yet – but in the coming months, we will develop an application process that supports this effort.

We need tests that measure whether students are mastering complex materials and can apply their knowledge in ways that show that they are ready for college and careers.

We need tests that go beyond multiple choice – and we know that these kinds of tests are expensive to develop. It will cost way too much if each state is doing this on its own.

Collaboration makes it possible for this to happen quickly and affordably.

Pinch me–but it looks like national standards and tests might just happen. Now let’s pray that the standards and tests are solid–and that the Administration, NGA, and CCSSO are wise enough to aim for more than just preparing students for college and work. We also need to prepare students to be citizens in this great democracy. Now, we wait and we watch.

Photo credit: cristic

Related posts:

1. National Standards: Rush to Judgment?
2. National standards and tests: This time for real?
3. Why not national standards for big-city school districts?