10-R360

2010 -- H 7684

Enacted 06/22/10

 

 

J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N

SUPPORTING THE NEW ENGLAND SECONDARY SCHOOL CONSORTIUM

     

     

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Savage, and Ruggiero

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2010

 

 

     WHEREAS, The New England Secondary School Consortium – a multistate partnership

forged to promote and advance higher educational aspirations, performance, and attainment

among the adolescents of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont – has

been and will continue to be a force for enhancing the quality of Rhode Island's system of public

secondary education; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island must transform – from its statehouse to its schoolhouses –

educational policies, assessment practices, teaching strategies, professional development, and

state and local leadership to ensure that the educational achievement of its students will not only

be competitive with that of their peers from across New England and the globe, but will also

enable every student to graduate prepared for success in the colleges, careers, and communities of

the 21st century; and

     WHEREAS, Education and high levels of postsecondary-degree attainment are critical to

workforce development, job creation, and sustainable, long-term economic prosperity in the 21st

century. It is critical that Rhode Island strives to improve educational quality, opportunity, and

efficacy for its citizens through regional collaboration, resource sharing, expertise exchange, and

performance comparability; and

     WHEREAS, The Consortium is developing internationally competitive learning models

and programs at the secondary level that will redefine the traditional concept of the public high

school to more effectively mirror the lives and learning needs of today's students. Its work also

centers on creating learning standards that reflect the ways in which our youth will live, work,

learn, and lead in the 21st century. The Consortium strives to forge new state and local policies

designed to stimulate educational innovation and creativity. It prioritizes the development of

performance assessments that can more accurately measure the essential knowledge, skills, and

habits of mind that Rhode Island students will apply throughout their lives and across all

educational, career, and civic contexts; and

     WHEREAS, The New England states share similar histories, educational systems,

demographic populations, social challenges, and interdependent economic prospects. The

independent and collective interests of our states can be more effectively served through strategic

partnerships that can improve the educational, career, and life outcomes of our citizens; and

     WHEREAS, The Consortium is fostering a coordinated regional effort to build broad-

based support for its major initiatives among educators, policy makers, and business leaders,

while also engaging parents and community members in the educational process through school

involvement, positive messaging, community outreach, and cross-state networking; and

     WHEREAS, Innovative regional collaborations have the potential to attract significant

public and private investments, create a high skilled workforce, attract new economic

opportunities, drive sustained economic growth, and improve the quality of life for all Rhode

Island residents; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence

Plantations hereby expresses our strong support and endorsement of the New England Secondary

School Consortium and its goals, strategies, and partnerships; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies to the Governor of Rhode Island; the Commissioners of Elementary

and Secondary Education of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island;

the executive director of the Great Schools Partnership; the president of the Nellie Mae Education

Foundation; and the director of education for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

     

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LC00297

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