Today’s students are preparing to enter a world in which colleges and businesses are demanding more than ever before. To ensure all students are ready for success after high school, the Common Core State Standards establish clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in Math and English Language Arts from K-12.
State education chiefs and governors in 48 states came together to develop the Common Core, a set of clear college- and career-ready standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. Today, 41 states and the District of Columbia have voluntarily adopted and are working to implement the standards, which are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to take credit bearing introductory courses in two- or four-year college programs or enter the workforce.
Traditional Standards have, in the past, been set from state-to-state, making it extremely hard for students to transfer from one school to another without ending up with gaps in their learning. Common Core Standards allow an easier transition for both student and school. Traditional Standards focus on rote memorization of dates and facts, rather than critical thinking and problem solving. Common Core prepares students for the demands of 21st century life and careers.
Common Core Standards were drafted by experts and teachers from across the country. They are designed to ensure that students are prepared for today’s entry-level careers, freshman-level college courses, and workforce training programs.
Forty one states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have voluntarily adopted and are moving forward with these standards.