Achieve's guiding principle in K-12 standards has been to clearly define what students should know and be able to do throughout their K-12 experience anchored in college- and career-ready expectations.

Aligned standards provide the foundation to improve curriculum, instruction and assessment and better prepare students for college and the workplace. They also communicate core learning goals to teachers, parents and students.

Adoption of college- and career-ready standards is the first step; states will need to determine what courses align to specific standards, how to incorporate the standards into the various pathways to graduation, and how to measure college and career-ready standards through assessments that signal readiness for college and careers.