CCSS

The beginning of the school year is filled with high hopes. Teachers have plans to teach their students everything they need to know for the year, and students are coming out of summer vacation rested and ready to learn. Parents are counting on schools to provide their kids the appropriate education for their grade. They are hoping their kids will be ready for next grade when it’s time to move on, and, more importantly, they want them to be fully prepared for college by the end of high school.

In 2004, a report entitled Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma That Counts was released by the American Diploma Project. The report was the culmination of several years’ work, with data collected from hundreds of high school teachers, college professors, and managers from U.S. corporations. The report concluded that American high school graduates are falling far short of the expectations placed on them by the workplace, and by colleges and universities.