The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers today released the first public draft of the K-12 standards as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, co-chaired by Governor Sonny Perdue. The standards provide a consistent framework to prepare students for college and the workforce.

“Common education standards and assessments aligned to those standards are in the best interest of both Georgia and the nation,” said Governor Perdue. “They will allow for an authentic, credible scoreboard that tells us how we are doing compared to students in other states.”

The standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers so that upon graduating high school they will be able to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs. The standards are:

·Aligned with college and work expectations;
·Clear, understandable and consistent;
·Rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
·Built 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- and research-based.

“Georgia has developed rigorous standards that are as good as any in the nation,” said State School Superintendent Kathy Cox. “The Common Core will allow us to accurately compare our students’ achievement with our neighboring states.”

Currently every state operates with different standards making it impossible to accurately compare data nationally or internationally. The Common Core State Standards is a state-led initiative that reflects the knowledge and skills students need to be successful in college and in the global economy. Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia have committed to helping develop these standards.

Parents, teachers, students and the public will have clear expectations for their state’s education program when the standards are adopted. They will be able to accurately compare progress nationally and internationally. It will also allow textbooks, digital media, and curricula to be aligned with internationally benchmarked standards. States may choose to include additional standards beyond the common core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state’s standards in English-language arts and mathematics.

“In the 21st century, Georgia is competing on a national and international stage,” said State School Board Chair Wanda Barrs. “It only makes sense that all states have common standards to strive for and compare themselves against.”