In this interview, Michael Kirst discusses the state policy implications and challenges of California's implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
The Common Core standards— adopted by 45 states and three territories — establish expectations and benchmarks of the knowledge, concepts, and skills students should acquire for Engligh language arts (ELA) and mathematics at each grade level for success in a global, technology-rich economy. Before the Common Core, California's State Board of Education last adopted standards for ELA and mathematics in 1997.
Michael W. Kirst is a Professor Emeritus of Education at Stanford University and President of the California State Board of Education. Before joining the Stanford faculty in 1969, Kirst held several positions with the federal government including Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Manpower, Employment and Poverty, and Director of Program Planning for Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Office of Education. His latest book is Political Dynamics of American Education (2009).
