The mission statement of the Common Core State Standards couldn't be any clearer in describing expectations for the education of our nation's youth. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. In the 21st century, a high school diploma without further education provides limited options for young adults: high school graduates currently have an unemployment rate of 32% - approximately twice that of college graduates. According to research conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, despite recent increases in college attendance rates for Latino ...