Since the 2010 adoption of grades K-12 English language arts and mathematics Common Core State Standards, Missouri districts have been preparing for the transition to full implementation in school year 2014-2015. Yesterday's speech delivered by AFT President Randi Weingarten speaks to Missouri’s thoughtful approach.

Researchers at the University of Kansas have selected six schools from across the country to serve as models of inclusive education for KU’s five-year, $24.5 million K-eighth grade national education initiative called SWIFT (School-wide Integrated Framework for Transformation) funded by U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs in October 2012.

Boone Elementary School, Center 58 School District, Kansas City, is in the running to become a Gold Award winner of the 2013 National Excellence in Urban Education Awards.

Boone Elementary was named a Silver Award school last month, one of eight schools to receive this honor, by the National Center for Urban School Transformation at San Diego State University.  All Silver Award schools will receive a check for $2,500 and are eligible to be selected as the Gold Award winner in their category - elementary, middle or high school.

Sixteen public high school seniors were honored Tuesday by the State Board of Education and The Missouri Bar as recipients of the 2013 Outstanding Achievement in Citizenship Award.

The students were recognized at a luncheon in Jefferson City where they were presented with a plaque and a certificate recognizing them as members of the American Bar Association Honor Roll for citizenship.

Eight high-achieving public schools were named Gold Star Schools by Missouri education officials today.

The Gold Star Schools program is designed to identify schools that are performing at a high level academically or who are making exceptional progress while serving a significant proportion of disadvantaged students.

The 2013 recipients are:

Two Missouri teachers are among the five educators nationwide named to the National Teachers Hall of Fame for 2013.

Smithville teacher Darryl Johnson and Blue Springs teacher Beth Vernon were honored Tuesday by the Hall of Fame, located in Emporia, Kan. The announcements were made during an assembly at each teacher's school.

"Congratulations to Mr. Johnson and Ms. Vernon for this recognition," said Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro. "These teachers are fine examples of the quality educators we need in every classroom."

The mayors of Missouri's two largest cities have expressed their support for the state's adoption of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and math.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay endorsed the more rigorous standards designed to ensure that all students graduate from high school college and career ready.

As Missouri's new standards for educator preparation take effect, several changes are ahead for students working to obtain teacher certification.

The standards, approved by the State Board of Education in November 2012, include new assessments being phased in over the next two years for prospective teachers as well as guidance counselors, librarians and school administrators.

The assessments are part of the new Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA) program, a comprehensive approach for assessing the preparation of educators in Missouri.

Career and technical student organizations at nearly 100 schools in Missouri provided about 320,000 pounds of food for Missourians in need during the "Show Me the Hunger: Unite the Fight" statewide food drive.

The event, held in partnership with the Missouri Food Bank Association, was highlighted during Career Technical Education Month in February. In addition to feeding the hungry, the food drive­ was designed to increase awareness of hunger in local communities.

More than 360 schools in Missouri are participating in a pilot program this spring to test a new assessment system based on the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and math.

The Smarter Balanced assessments, for students in grades 3-11, are currently being developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, a group of 24 states that includes Missouri. More than one million students across the country will take part in the pilot during April and May.