Last month the National Governor’s Association for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards, an attempt to standardize K-12 education across the U.S. To date, 48 of the 50 states have adopted the standards, Alaska and Texas electing not to adopt. The final version of the standards is due out by late spring.

It is clear that there is a wide disparity in what students are learning from state to state, and I appreciate the effort to standardize education across the country. According to the Common Core website, the standards are:

• Aligned with college and work expectations;
• Clear, understandable and consistent;
• Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
• Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
• Informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and
• Evidence-based.

I’m having an initial look at the standards now, and I have to admit, I’m pleasantly surprised at first glance. The standards are set out clearly (unlike many sets of standards), and there appears to be ample focus on inquiry and higher order thinking skills and activities while allowing flexibility for teachers to adapt instruction to their teaching styles. Moreover, states are free to adopt, reject, or abandon them as they see fit. Keep in mind, this is a first glance, and I’ll report more once I have a deeper look. I think a states-sponsored initiative such as this is well overdue, and I hope it bears fruit. You can view the draft standards here. Let me know what you think.