Maryland is creating a world-class education system that prepares all students for college and career success in the 21st century.  To achieve this, the State has adopted rigorous, internationally benchmarked academic standards for English/Language Arts and Mathematics - based on the Common Core Standards - and is implementing a new State curriculum and next generation assessments aligned to those standards called the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards.

 

To be prepared for the challenges of work and college, students must graduate from high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to help them succeed in today's knowledge-based global economy.  Maryland has led the nation in establishing strong academic standards and accompanying curriculum, but to truly provide students with a world-class education the State must continue to raise those standards and improve achievement for all.

 

Maryland's College and Career-Ready Standards are based on the Common Core Standards and provide a set of clear, high-quality academic expectations in English/Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics that define the knowledge and skills all students should master by the end of each grade level.  The goal is simple and important:  keep students on track for success in college and career. The standards were created through a state-level initiative, coordinated by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, in collaboration with teachers, parents, higher education leaders, and experts from across the country.  To date, the Common Core has been voluntarily adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia.  Maryland adopted the Common Core in 2010 and in the years since has been translating those standards into a challenging and engaging curriculum - the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards.

 

A parallel effort also has been underway to develop a new assessment system to measure the critical content and skills embedded in the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards.  In spring 2010, Maryland became a Governing State in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), a consortium of 22 states working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English/Language Arts and Mathematics anchored in what it takes to be ready for higher education and the job market.