After-school Programs Step Forward to Align With Common Core

Imagine an American education system that works well for all students — a system that pulls U.S. students forward from a laggard position on international student tests and erases the gap between low-income kids and more affluent students. Imagine a system that prepares kids well for the types of jobs seen in the 21st century.

The Common Core State Standards were envisioned by their developers to do just that — to prepare an upcoming generation for a changing future.

“The Common Core addresses three leading concerns in our nation’s fight for education reform: an inadequate number of students prepared for college and careers, a lack of equity in academic expectations across and within states, and the inability to compare results across states,” writes Taliah Givens, program director for the Council of Chief State School Officers, for the Expanded Learning & Afterschool Project.