Inside APLU: Annual Meeting Commission Sessions Tackle Cross-Cutting Issues (Part 3)

On the opening day of the APLU Annual Meeting, six sessions highlight the work of APLU’s Commissions in addressing cross-cutting issues affecting public universities. In the final part of this three-part Public Voice series, two of those sessions are highlighted: one on universities’ role in health inequities and one on Common Core standards in math.

THE HEALTH OF A NATION: AN EXPANDING ROLE FOR UNIVERSITIES

Our health care system, the state of public health and ongoing health inequities remain major issues on the national stage. Universities and their health profession schools have significant roles to play in addressing challenges and opening up opportunities for higher quality, more efficient delivery systems, improved wellness, and better cures. This panel will examine the expanding university role in health care delivery and stewarding the health of a nation, including a look at Urban Universities for HEALTH, a partnership between APLU, USU, the AAMC, and the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities formed to drive local innovations in health workforce development to meet improved health and health equity goals.

The Health of a Nation will be presented at 1:45 pm on Sunday, November 10.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR MATH

The Common Core State Standards, adopted by 45 states, are state-led standards that provide a common set of standards for what students need to know in reading and mathematics. It is an opportunity to ensure that the next generation is prepared for college and rewarding careers. This year, 28 states have implemented these new and higher K-12 standards across all grade levels. Starting next year, these students will be the university’s freshmen class.

The session Common Core State Standards for Math at 3:30 pm on Sunday, November 10, will outline the challenges and opportunities of the CCSS faced by states. These include preparing new teachers and current teachers for the standards, developing curriculum materials aligned to the CCSS, assessing students, and navigating the political pushback expected as student scores decline.

Kentucky was one of the first states to implement the standards. Kentucky’s Commission of Education, Terry Holliday, has worked tirelessly in his state to listen and mobilize important stakeholders, teachers, parents, university leadership, the business community, and the public. Kentucky and New York have tested their students using new assessments aligned to the CCSS-M. Less than a third of their students scored proficient in mathematics and reading in grades 3-8, reflecting students’ lack of preparedness to compete in a global economy. “It would certainly be more enjoyable for me to keep the tests the way they were and see more students receive higher scores, but it would also be wrong,” said Terry Holliday. “We do our students no favors when we tell them they are ready to succeed in the world when they are not.” He will share what he has learned being at the forefront on this movement and provide guidance to other state leaders in how to smooth the way for successful implementation of the standards.

Edward Ray, president, Oregon State University, will discuss how his university and the state of Oregon are coordinating their activities in support of the CCSS. Charles Coble, co-director, Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative, brings a long history of working in science education policy. He is working with several state collaboratives across the country currently working on the CCSS. By the end of the session, university leaders will have an overview of the challenges and opportunities of the CCSS-M, and the role they can play in supporting these standards.