The future economic prosperity of our state and our country relies on producing highly skilled graduates who can be the entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors of tomorrow. To prepare high school graduates to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex global marketplace Oregon increased graduation requirements and adopted the Common Core State Standards.

• Global competitiveness. The Common Core are aligned to international standards from the highest achieving countries. This means our students will be well prepared to compete both nationally and internationally.
  
  
• Consistency across the country. Common standards mean that Oregon students are learning the same content and skills as students from around the U.S. in the subject areas of English Language Arts and Math. This places everyone on an even playing field and eases transitions between states.
  
  
• Homegrown talent. Rigorous, national standards will help each state produce local, homegrown talent to meet the needs of our rapidly changing workplace.
  
  
• 21st century skills for 21st century jobs. The Common Core are designed to prepare students to compete in and contribute to the 21st century, global economy. These standards will help produce graduates ready for today’s—and tomorrow’s—jobs.
  
  
• College and career ready standards for all. Because students need high level literacy and math skills whether they plan to go to college or directly into a job or workforce training, these standards are designed to prepare students for success in whatever they choose to do after graduation.
  
  
• Focus on real world skills. What students learn in school should be directly related to what they’ll be required to do once they leave school. The Common Core Standards emphasize reading informational and technical texts to prepare students for the demands of college and the workplace.