Almost all states climbed on board the common standards train when the
commitment required no more than a statement of interest. Interest was sustained
by the promise of Race to
the Top money. As the conductor comes around requesting payment (that is,
real changes loom) states are beginning to jump.
commonly known as No Child Left Behind, requires that states adopt the standards
in order to get access to 14.5 billion in federal funds.
We also need (1) a curriculum that implements the standards; (2) professional
development for teachers; (3) lesson plans that implement the curriculum.