The state-led effort to develop the Common Core State Standards was launched in 2009 by state leaders, including governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, two territories and the District of Columbia, through their membership in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). State school chiefs and governors recognized the value of consistent, real-world learning goals and launched this effort to ensure all students, regardless of where they live, are graduating high school prepared for college, career, and life.
The standards are informed by:
- The best state standards already in existence
- The experience of teachers, content experts, states, and leading thinkers
- Feedback from the public
Timeline for the Development of College- and Career-Readiness Standards and K-12 Standards
State education standards have been around since the early 1990s. By the early 2000s, every state had developed and adopted its own learning standards that specify what students in grades 3-8 and high school should be able to do. Every state also had its own definition of proficiency, which is the level at which a student is determined to be sufficiently educated at each grade level and upon graduation. This lack of standardization was one reason why states decided to develop the Common Core State Standards in 2009.
The development of the Common Core State Standards is a success story of meaningful, state-led change to help all students succeed.
During the development process, the standards were divided into two categories:
- First, the college- and career-readiness standards, which address what students are expected to know and understand by the time they graduate from high school
- Second, the K-12 standards, which address expectations for elementary school through high school
The college- and career-readiness standards were developed first and then incorporated into the K-12 standards in the final version of the Common Core we have today. The National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) received nearly 10,000 comments on the standards during two public comment periods. Many of the comments from teachers, parents, school administrators, and other citizens concerned with education policy helped shape the final version of the standards.
Teachers played a critical role in development
The Common Core State Standards drafting process relied on teachers and standards experts from across the country. Teachers were involved in the development process in four ways:
- They served on the Work Groups and Feedback Groups for the ELA and math standards.
- The National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), among other organizations were instrumental in bringing together teachers to provide specific, constructive feedback on the standards
- Teachers were members of teams states convened to provide regular feedback on drafts of the standards.
- Teachers provided input on the Common Core State Standards during the two public comment periods.
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