Governors, School Chiefs Offer 'Common Core' of Education Standards

Governors and state school officials have drawn up a blueprint of a "common core" of standards in mathematics and English, showing what should be expected of students in grades K through 12 in public schools across the country.

The set of expectations, previewed Wednesday by The Washington Post, is intended to replace a mishmash of state standards and is being proposed separately from requirements in the federal No Child Left Behind Law.

If adopted, the standards would show up in textbooks, curriculum and teacher training. By way of example, the Post said fourth-graders would have to explain the difference between poetry and prose, while eighth-graders would need to be familiar with linear equations and the Pythagorean theorem, respective elements of algebra and geometry.

The proposal, a step forward in President Obama's effort to raise educational standards, was developed by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers. Every state but Alaska and Texas initially supported the effort last year, and Kentucky has already signed on to the plan, relying on a late-stage draft.

In Washington, the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton pushed for voluntary standards in the 1990s, but fell short. The new plan from the governors and school officers is expected to be finalized by late spring. After a Feb. 22 White House meeting between Obama and the governors, Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland, a Democrat, predicted his state would adopt the standards and said he was encouraged by the level of support among Republican governors.