Common Core - What We Do

We believe that a child who graduates from high school without an understanding of culture, the arts, history, literature, civics, and language has in fact been left behind. So to improve education in America, we’re promoting programs, policies, and initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels that provide students with challenging, rigorous instruction in the full range of liberal arts and sciences.

WE PROMOTE A FULL CORE CURRICULUM. The No Child Left Behind Act has increased the amount of time schools devote to basic reading and math skills, squeezing core subjects out of the classroom. Because schools are sacrificing the subjects that open students’ minds and teach them to think critically and imaginatively about the world, we’re working to restore teaching of core academic disciplines. Only a complete liberal arts education will enable today’s students to become tomorrow’s well-prepared citizens.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, LEGISLATORS, and anyone who wants to promote liberal learning in our schools. Common Core is a source for quality education standards, programs, and curricula. We’re also the place to find data on why a comprehensive education in the liberal arts and sciences is important, and on the status of liberal education today. Our first report, Still at Risk, showed how little our 17-year-olds know about history and literature.

FEBRUARY 26, 2008 — New Common Core report shows a nation STILL AT RISK. Nearly a quarter of students polled could not identify Adolf Hitler and half had no idea what the Renaissance was. To learn more read the report, press release or today's issue of USA TODAY.

Truest things are often said in jest. To wit, The Onion.

CONVERSATION: Common Core Executive Director Lynne Munson speaks with Susan Jacoby about her new book, The Age of American Unreason, on NPR. (cont'd)

VIDEO WATCH: MSN's No One Wants to Look Dumb campaign strikes a chord. (cont'd)

CAMPAIGN FILE: Sen. Barack Obama said “One of the problems with No Child Left Behind is that it has become so reliant on a standardized test model that—first of all—subjects like history and social studies have gotten pushed aside. Arts and music time is no longer there. So the child is not having the well-rounded educational experience I benefited from and most in my generation benefited from.” (cont'd)