The Common Core State Standards, released in June 2010, offer an opportunity to shift education away from shallow, test-prep instruction and toward a focus on key cognitive skills, writes Conley. Two consortia of states are now developing common assessments to measure these standards--assessments that will be designed to capture deeper, more…

Students' abilities to complete and learn from each learning task successfully depend on more than their content knowledge. Success depends on how well they can identify, select, evaluate, adjust, and implement appropriate strategies for applying what they know in tackling the task at hand. Their success is influenced by their perception of…

In June 2010, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Offices (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards. The stated aim of the Common Core standards is to define the knowledge and skills students should achieve in order to graduate from high school ready to succeed in a…

This policy report provides an overview of the Common Core State Standards, how they were developed, the sources that were referenced in their development, the need for educational standards generally, what they entail, and what it will mean for educators to implement them. The report draws from research and reference material to outline the…

Many students falter in college because of a gap between their high school experiences and the higher expectations they encounter in college courses. Research has found that college instructors often expect students to exercise higher-level thinking skills, such as interpreting and analyzing information, supporting arguments with evidence, and…

Describes the disconnect between the standards and assessment movement in K-12 education and preparation for college success. Discusses the challenges facing public and higher education in more clearly articulating and merging their educational goals. Describes school reform efforts that may hold promise for linking the two systems. (EV)

The purpose of this paper is to provide an operational definition of college readiness that differs from current representations of this concept primarily in its scope. The paper suggests that, while much has been learned about this phenomenon, particularly during the past 20 years, few systematic attempts have been made to integrate the various…