The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are educational goals for Grades K–12 in the English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The standards are a result of a collaboration of several U.S. states. They were written under the auspices of the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers with the financial support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. More than 40 states have adopted CCSS as their educational standards.

The ELA standards address reading, including foundational skills (e.g., phonological awareness, phonics, fluency); writing, speaking, and listening; and language (e.g., grammar, usage). The math standards include counting and cardinality, algebraic thinking, numbers and operations (e.g., base ten, fractions), measurement and data, and geometry.