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If you ask someone, what is the goal of a quality K-12 education, the answers will be as varied as the disparate students participating in the United States educational system. Without an agreed-upon definition, it is very difficult to create a system to accomplish that goal. In steps the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO formed a national committee to help reach a definition consensus.

The core task of the Curiosity and Creativity group will be to reach a consensus definition of what it means to be curious and creative in the classroom. What knowledge and skills regarding curiosity and creativity are critical for success in this rapidly changing world? What would the manifestation of a curious and creative student “look like” in student work in various subject areas or interdisciplinary projects? Second, the workgroup will be responsible for overseeing the development of an extensive database of live student work submitted from teachers across the country in response to a request for work samples that demonstrate curiosity and creativity, and assisting in determining which among the examples of student work are the best manifestations of the construct at various development levels

“I am thrilled and humbled to be a member of the Curiosity & Creativity committee. I firmly believe curiosity and creativity are the keys to success. These traits were instilled in me at early age and have driven my career. I attempt to instill them in my children whenever possible,” says Shannon Carter, Cartis Group’s President. He goes on to say, “If we can recognize curiosity and creativity in the classroom, we can foster a system to encourage these traits.”

“What’s interesting is the amount of research that suggests creativity functions as a means towards success beyond school,” said John Tanner, Strategic Initiative Director of the Center for Innovative Measures, “and yet, creativity is most often assumed to be beyond the purview of domain-based education. Changing that perception and providing teachers the tools to inform their practice will be a significant goal of this project.”

This effort is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Curiosity and Creativity committee will meet every other month over a two-year period. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 3rd through Tuesday, August 4th in Washington, DC.