North Carolina’s State Board of Education has adopted the Common Core State Standards, released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. With the adoption of these state-led education standards, North Carolina is in the first group of states to embrace clear and consistent goals for learning to prepare children for success in college and work.

North Carolina was one of the 48 states to participate in the state consortium led by governors and chief state school officers. Teachers, education advisors and other groups have provided valuable feedback to the groups working since fall 2009 to write the Common Core standards on behalf of the state consortium. With the release of the Common Core, it is up to each participating state to formally adopt the Core and to plan their state’s implementation.

These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have throughout their K-12 education so that they will graduate high school fully prepared for college and careers. The standards:
•         Are aligned with college and work expectations
•         Are clear, understandable and consistent
•         Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills
•         Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards
•         Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society
•         Are evidence- and research-based

The full Common Core Standards can be viewed here.

“In order to positively impact student achievement, the Common Core and North Carolina Essential Standards must not just be adopted but implemented”

 “Alignment is an even stronger predictor of student achievement on standardized tests than are socioeconomic status, gender, race, and teacher effect.”

                                                                   (Elmore & Rothman, 1999; Mitchell, 1988; Wishnick, 1989)