News and Press Releases

The release of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a welcome milestone in the standards movement that began more than 20 years ago when the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. By initiating the development of the CCSS, state leaders acknowledged that common K–grade 8 and high school standards culminating in college and career readiness would offer better support for national improvement in mathematics achievement than our current system of individual state standards. The CCSS provides the foundation for the development of more focused and coherent instructional materials and assessments that measure students’ understanding of mathematical concepts and acquisition of fundamental reasoning habits, in addition to their fluency with skills. Most important, the CCSS will enable teachers and education leaders to focus on improving teaching and learning, which is critical to ensuring that all students have access to a high- quality mathematics program and the support that they need to be successful.