For decades, the American elementary and secondary education system has operated somewhat as the railroads did before Lincoln's day, with each state setting its own expectations for what students should know and be able to do. To address that problem, nearly every state, with little fanfare, has adopted the Common Core State Standards for student learning in English language arts and mathematics. These standards spell out the knowledge and skills all students are expected to acquire in order to be prepared for college and careers by the time they graduate from high school. By setting common expectations states have made it possible for students everywhere to graduate from high school prepared for postsecondary education.