I fully support the proposed standards and I trust that the standards were written by a team comprised of experts, parents and other critical stakeholders. Yes, academic achievement is a critical school outcome. However, academic achievement cannot and often does not occur without emotional and social stability. Many students are not able to demonstrate full academic achievement due to gaps in social-emotional skills. These standards should not be viewed as replacing academic rigor. Instead, it is clear these standards SUPPORT academic rigor and achievement.