Students sit at desks in a circle and discuss assignment.
Image courtesy of the Newshour

NewsHour gets to the core of Common Core

August 16, 2013  |    |  1 min read

For most students returning to school in the next few weeks, they will be entering classrooms that are in transition. Both Kansas and Missouri have adopted the Common Core State Standards, which set new learning benchmarks in English Language Arts and Math for K-12 students. While Kansas expects schools to have the standards fully implemented this year, Missouri will require full implementation for the 2014-2015 school year. Missouri and Kansas are two of the 45 states to adopt the standards.

Although the Common Core has been several years in the making, if you’re like most parents you may still be wondering what this really means for your child. This week PBS NewsHour education correspondent John Merrow shared an excellent two-part series on the new standards and the computerized tests that will accompany them.

Tags:

Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.

Nick’s Picks | Rally, Debate, Data Center and More …

October 19, 2026

Election season is in full swing, with the U.S. Senate race in Kansas taking center stage, including President Donald Trump holding a rally in Wichita.

Related Stories

Marissa Gencarelli, of Yoli Tortilleria, grilled steak and Masa Shio Koji wings for an Anti-ICE Supper Club event to raise awareness and benefit Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR), a regional nonprofit that advocates for immigrant and refugee communities in Kansas and Missouri. The event took place at Yoli Cocina, in Kansas City, Mo. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. In the background is Laura Basauri, the executive chef for Taco Naco.

Kansas City Cooks as Site for National Anti-ICE Dinner Series

Celebrated chefs from throughout the metro collaborated for three nights on dinners that raised money for a local immigrant-rights nonprofit.

Read More >
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves talks Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 about her pending retirement. (Carlos Moreno | KCUR 89.3)

Nick’s Picks | Top Cop, Mission Mall, Lucas’ Travels and More …

Nick Haines also has the lowdown on information for the upcoming election, the arrival of fall and Kansas City's Day of the Dead celebration.

Read More >
Starting in January, I-70 will shut down in both directions, along a 4-mile stretch between downtown and the Truman Sports Complex. The Missouri Department of Transportation holds a public meeting on the closure Tuesday. (Screenshot)

Nick’s Picks | I-70, Tax Break, School Petition, and More …

An Interstate 70 closure, a tax rebate for Jackson County property owners, a school closure petition, and more ...

Read More >