A forum to discuss new education assessment standards for kindergarten through high school students will take place Thursday at the Career and Technology Center in Cape Girardeau.

Common Core State Standards was adopted by the Missouri Board of Education in 2010. The series of standards evaluates student knowledge and skills in English/language arts and mathematics. As reported in this paper recently, the standards also focus on critical thinking, problem solving and effective communication skills.

While some education officials have touted Common Core as a rigorous and important tool that will benefit students in the global economy, others have expressed concerns.

This forum, one of eight that will take place around the state, is sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Hopefully, it will serve as a good opportunity to learn more about the standards and answer questions.

It's certainly important that students learn key concepts and skills before finishing high school. But there are valid questions that should be answered. We hope all parties come to this meeting with an open mind and that the discussion is a productive step that ultimately will benefit students.