The recent exposure of text scores indicates that Virginia schools need to raise the bar in order to provide a better education to our students. The new framework will work to address the "Honesty Gap" between state assessments and national benchmarks. In doing so, we will obtain a more accurate picture of student performance and help parents to know whether or not their students are on track for true success post-graduation.

We need to increase academic standards and the new system promotes a culture of continuous improvement. The new framework focuses on transparency and accountability while providing real-time actionable data which will enable educators and school administrators to make informed decisions that can directly impact student learning and achievement.

While growth is important, it should not come at the expense of ensuring that students achieve a high level of proficiency. The new framework emphasizes mastery and proficiency over growth. If we are unwilling to make changes to promote higher achievement, we will continue to fail Virginia students and that does not bode well for the future of our state or our country.