Editor’s note: This is the first in a multi-part series about the new Common Core State Standards.

In June 2010, Illinois adopted a revised set of learning standards known as the Common Core State Standards, which were developed when states banded together to map out grade-by-grade guidelines.

The new standards are part of a trend toward national standards, meaning students in Alabama could be required to master the same material as their counterparts in Wyoming. In addition to Illinois, the standards have been adopted by every state except Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, Virginia and Alaska.