CHAPTER 207
SJR 3 – FINAL VERSION
04/28/10 1674eba
2010 SESSION
04/03
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 3
A RESOLUTION in support of the New England Secondary School Consortium.
SPONSORS: Sen. Kelly, Dist 10; Rep. Rous, Straf 7
This joint resolution declares New Hampshire’s support for the New England Secondary School Consortium.
04/28/10 1674eba
10-2958
04/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten
A RESOLUTION in support of the New England Secondary School Consortium.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
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 New Hampshire’s system of public secondary education; and
Whereas, New Hampshire will strive to transform, from its state house to its schoolhouses, educational policies, assessment practices, teaching strategies, professional development, and state and local leadership to ensure not only that the educational achievement of its students will be competitive with the achievement of students across New England and the globe, but that every student graduates prepared for success in the colleges, careers, and communities of the twenty-first 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 twenty-first century; and
Whereas, it is critical that New Hampshire strives to improve educational quality, opportunity, and efficacy for its citizens through regional collaboration, resource sharing, expertise exchange, and cross-state student performance and achievement comparability; and
Whereas, the Consortium is developing (1) internationally competitive educational models and instructional 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; (2) learning standards that reflect the ways in which our students will live, work, learn, and lead in the twenty-first century; (3) new state and local policies designed to stimulate educational innovation and creativity; and (4) performance assessments that can more accurately measure the essential academic knowledge and critical life skills that New Hampshire’s students will apply throughout their lives and across all educational, career, and civic contexts; and
Whereas, the New England states share similar histories, demographic populations, interdependent economic prospects, and educational and social challenges, 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 local 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 higher skilled workforce, attract new economic opportunities, drive sustained economic growth, and improve the quality of life for all New Hampshire residents, now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
That we, the members of the 161st general court now assembled in the 2010 regular session, on behalf of the people and children we have been entrusted to represent, express our strong support and endorsement of the New England Secondary School Consortium and its goals, strategies, and partnerships; and
That a copy of this resolution, duly authenticated by the secretary of state, be delivered to the governor of New Hampshire; the commissioner of the New Hampshire department of education; the 4 Commissioners of Education for Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont; the executive director of the Great Schools Partnership; the president of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation; and the director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Approved: June 22, 2010