The Common Core State Standards: Implications for Higher Education in the West

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and mathematics seek to better prepare students across the nation for college and careers, raising both expectations and achievement in every state that chooses to adopt them. Created through an initiative led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers – with input from researchers, policymakers, teachers, and the general public – the CCSS align college and work expectations through rigorous content and the application of knowledge via the demonstration of higher order skills. To date, all but eight states have formally adopted the CCSS; the only Western states that have not are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota and Washington (which has provisionally adopted them).1 This unprecedented movement toward common academic standards in K-12 creates important challenges and implications for higher education. As the CCSS are implemented in states, higher education leaders need to be engaged in the discussions and policy changes that will result.