被美國教育部秘書長Arne Duncan譽為美國公共教育史上，繼1954年《布朗法案》（Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka）以來，最重要里程碑的《各州共同核心標準》（Common Core State Standards, CCSS）已在2010年6月2日正式公布，且在美國總統Obama、美國全國州長協會、美國各州學校主要負責人會議及非營利組織「成就公司」的大力支持與背書下，至2014年底已有43州、華盛頓特區、四個領地與美國國防部採用此一標準。《各州共同核心標準》強調其具有研究與證據本位、清晰可理解與一貫、和大學與生涯期望緊密結合、根據嚴謹知識內容與透過高層次思考技巧來加以應用、奠基於現有各州標準的強項與課程，並從其他頂尖教育表現的國家中汲取經驗來讓學生累積全球經濟與社會中的成功可能等六項特質，揭櫫更少、更清楚與更高的教育標準；美國聯邦政府希望透過《各州共同核心標準》與共同評量的推行，將教育重點聚焦於大學與生涯準備度上，尤其特別重視英語文與數學兩學科，期許每一位從美國高中畢業的學生不論是在大學或是職涯核心能力上都能具有適當的準備度。為針對《各州共同核心標準》此一議題進行更為深度的探討，本文首先將分析歷年重要美國K-12教育政策與法令，接著再釐清美國《各州共同核心標準》與1965年《啟蒙法案》、《初等及中等教育法案》、1990年「標準與績效責任運動」、2001年《沒有孩子落後法案》與2009年《邁向巔峰》計畫之間的關係，並結合與美國匹茲堡大學James Jacob教授的深度訪談，進一步探究卓越與均等、弱勢教育與補救教學等議題，希望可以藉由《各州共同核心標準》的發展現況、阻礙與省思，提供我國在思考十二年國民基本教育政策走向時的參考依據。

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative has been regarded as one of the most influential educational movements in the United States since Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954. While its origins can be traced back to a much earlier date, the CCSS were officially launched by the National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers in June 2010. As of December 2014, 43 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories have adopted the CCSS. Standardized testing at the K-12 level is a topic that has received growing attention for decades across the world. And with comparison data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), many U.S. policy makers and practitioners felt it was time to help provide a common standard in key subjects at the national level as well. Advocates argue that the CCSS focus on fewer, clearer, and higher educational standards in English language arts and literacy and mathematics. In this article the authors analyze the historical background and rise of the CCSS within the United States, and then compare the CCSS with other U.S. education laws and initiatives, including the Head Start Program and the Elementary Secondary Education Act in 1965, the Standards and Accountability Movements in the 1990s, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Race to the Top Fund in 2009. The concluding section offers recommendations and practical suggestions for policy makers and educators in K-12 settings in Taiwan and other international contexts.