The new Standards for the 21st Century Learner are out!

Hello from Reno,

The AASL Conference is filled with energy and excitement; we can really feel it. The sessions are great, Dan Pink was an incredible keynote speaker and now the new standards are launched. Here's the press release:

And, they are available for download from the AASL home page. They really define how your library media program makes a difference for students. Incredibly huge kudos and much gratitude go to the task force which included co-chairs Cassandra Barnett and Gail Dickinson, Gene Hainer, Melissa Johnston, Marcia Mardis and Barbara Stripling for their vision and responsiveness to the field and to the AASL staff for all the work it took to get them ready to had out here at the conference.

During the process, input came from a draft on the AASL homepage, an open forum at LA Midwinter and from a wiki. Every comment was examined and considered. Thank you to everyone who sent in that input.  I remember so very clearly the AASL  Board meeting in New Orleans when we realized that we had just voted to revise the guidelines AND standards, not just the guidelines as was the item on the agenda. Whew!

There's more to come. The program guidelines are being revised, the Learning Standards and Assessment Task Force is developing a document that will aid us in applying the standards, the Guidelines and Standards Implementation Task Force is looking for the best ways to get the word out about the standards to school library media specialists, teachers, administrators, parents and all involved in education. The Chair of that task force, Susan Ballard, told the people in the Celebrtae Conference that they (and all of us) are members of that task force.

AASL is working hard for us all.