In June 2010, North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by 45 states and are meant to prepare students for college and the workforce. Jason Van Heukelum, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Cabarrus County Schools, said, “You could argue this is stemming from the economic crisis, the perception that America is lacking behind other countries, especially in math and science.” He added that, when Common Core is implemented, school systems will be able to compare their students to students from other states. Read the article... [1]