Beyond Adoption—Implementing Rigorous College- and Career-Readiness Standards: Southeast Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, December 2011

Preparing our future citizens for postsecondary education and careers that span a continuum of sophistication is not a new topic in education. However, rapid changes in technology and increased competition from industrialized nations have changed the landscape and meaning of college and career readiness. As part of a strategy to better prepare students, 31 states have implemented college- and career-readiness standards (CCRS), with 20 states also requiring that students complete high school graduation requirements that will make them college and career ready (Howard & Madison-Harris, 2011). This briefing paper provides details on the meaning of college- and career-readiness standards, effective implementation of these standards, next steps in the implementation process, and progress being made by state departments of education in the southeast region toward this crucial goal.