The Kansas College & Career State Standards (a.k.a the Common Core State Standards) for English/Language Arts and Math have been adopted by USD #449 starting with the 2013-2014 school year. Here is a bit of history about how they came to be.
Standards? Why all this talk about standards? Standards are everywhere. In the medical field there are standards for blood pressure. Did you know, in most cases, 120/80 is the ideal blood pressure? In the auto industry there are standards for windshield wipers and washing systems. In the restaurant business there are standards for refrigerator storage. Refrigerators should be maintained at 41F or lower. In the dairy industry, there are standards for grade A, grade B & grade C milk based on quality and composition. But standards in education?
As far back at 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke of a need for clearer national goals and standards in education. President George H. W. Bush, along with the nation's governors, agreed to set national education goals at a 1989 "education summit" but the American 2000 Act failed to gain congressional support. During the mid-1990's, many states created their own standards, standards that vary both in content and structure.
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