In June 2009, the National Governors Association for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced a joint project called the Common Core State Standards Initiative, whose goal is to create a "common core" of education standards for English language arts and mathematics in grades K-12.

As of September 2009, 48 states and 3 territories have signed on to participate in the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

• March 10, 2010 NGA Center, CCSSO release first public draft of K-12 ELA and Mathematics Common Core State Standards, public comment invited
• October 29, 2009 The New York Times, "Federal Researchers Find Lower Standards in Schools"
• October 8, 2009 Education Week "'Common Core' Standards Earn a B From Think Tank"
• September 24, 2009 Common Core State Standards Validation Committee Announced; group will validate high school exit standards, after which time work on the K-12 standards will begin
• September 21, 2009 The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the first official draft of their college- and career-readiness standards. Public feedback on the draft was accepted through October 21, 2009.
• September 17, 2009 Education Week, "Texas Aligns High School, Entry-Level College Standards"
• June 1, 2009 Forty-Nine States and Territories Join Common Core Standards Initiative