• Looking through the Lens of Change
    The Common Core and Essential Standards
    Guide for Parents 

  • In an unprecedented overhaul of public education curriculum, North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards and the North Carolina Essential Standards both scheduled for implementation this fall. North Carolina was one of the first of 45 states in the country to adopt the Common Core. 

    The Common Core introduces new standards in the areas of K-12 English/Language Arts and Mathematics. North Carolina Standards will change the look of social studies, science, information and technology, world languages, health and physical education, arts education, career technical education and guidance.

    According to the State Board of Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the new standards will provide a much sharper focus on the skills students must have by the time they graduate, including:

    • collaboration skills;SchoolCenter Picture
    • critical-thinking skills;
    • research skills;
    • problem-solving skills; and
    • technology skills.

    Together, the Common Core State Standards aligned with the Essential Standards, will become the state's new Standard Course of Study for all grades in the fall of 2012.