SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement applauding the California State Board of Education’s unanimous vote to adopt the Common Core State Standards:“Since coming into office, I have made it a top priority to uphold California’s leading academic standards to ensure a high level of education for every student. I applaud the unanimous vote by the State Board of Education to adopt the enhanced Common Core Standards that maintain California’s high expectations and our belief that every student is capable of success in the classroom.”

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to establish a single set of high and clear educational standards for English-language arts and mathematics that states can share and voluntarily adopt. Designed by a diverse group of teachers, experts, parents and school administrators, the Common Core reflect the best available evidence and the highest state standards from across the country. As part of the adoption process, states have the option to add additional standards as a way to encourage high-standards states like California to maintain and even extend the rigor of their existing standards.

Governor Schwarzenegger created the Academic Content Standards Commission to consider the Common Core and make recommendations for policy changes necessary to ensure California’s academic rigor was maintained. In its recommendation to the State Board of Education, the Standards Commission was able to use this rule to ensure that California maintains its high expectations for all students. These additions, for example, will better prepare all students for success in eighth-grade algebra, which education experts agree is a critical factor in college and career readiness.

For more information on the Common Core State Standards Initiative, please visit: www.corestandards.org.