"While Chinese language instruction has long been a part of the American education system, it has mainly been confined to the university and post undergraduate levels as part of special fields such as literature or history. It is only in the past two decades that instruction of Chinese has been extended to high schools, junior high schools, and even elementary schools. CLASS was one of the principal organizations involved in the development of the national standards for foreign language learning. CLASS bears a primary responsibility to nurture and in-service K-12 Chinese teachers.CLASS continues to forge collaborations and form new partnerships with other professional organizations."