Aligning the K-12 Academic Journey with a Postsecondary Destination

Although debate about the adoption and implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has been extensive, there is unanimity on the importance of college and career readiness standards. An abundance of research has laid the foundation for this consensus by showing that too many students graduate ill prepared for the rigors of college or the workplace.

This article examines how state boards of education can model North Carolina, a state which has aligned its assessment system to the “endpoint,” raised standards and performance, and built student growth trajectories, to ensure that students are prepared for the reading requirements of college and careers. By examining reading growth longitudinally and connecting this growth to the real-world reading demands of occupations and higher education environments, state board members can be confident that their state’s assessments are aligned to college and career readiness.