Even with the continued tightening of state funds for elementary and secondary education, states are working to adopt new standards that would better prepare their students for college, says a report from the Center on Education Policy.
The report, "Year Two of Implementing the Common Core State Standards: States' Progress and Challenges," was released on Wednesday by the center, an independent advocate for public education.
The Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, comprises a national set of voluntary teaching criteria to improve students' college readiness by focusing on English-language and math skills. In all, 45 states and the District of Columbia have signed on to the standards, which represent the first major overhaul of voluntary K-12-education benchmarks since 1992.
For its study, the center surveyed deputy superintendents of education in states working to put the CCSS into effect. Of the 38 respondent to the survey, most said their states do not expect to install the new standards fully until the 2014-15 school year or later, because substantial changes to curricula and instruction will be needed.
Although most participating states said they would establish partnerships between their education agencies and institutions of higher education, only 16 of 29 respondents to this question said they would align undergraduate admissions requirements with the new standards. And several states expressed concern over resistance to the changes from colleges and universities.
More serious than any challenges that higher education may present, however, is the lack of adequate funds in many states.
"Fully implementing the CCSS is a complex undertaking that will take time and affect many aspects of the education system," Diane Stark Rentner, director of national programs at the policy center and a co-author of the study, said in a written statement. "Looming over this entire process is the major challenge of adequate resources. Policy makers should be aware that funding problems could cause states to curtail or delay some of their plans."
The report is available here.
