The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) establish a challenging text-complexity standard for all high school graduates to read at college and workplace text-complexity levels. We argue that implementation of the CCSS standard requires concurrent examination of historical student reading-growth trends. An example of a historical student average reading-growth curve is presented, along with growth curves for quartile subgroups. Next, a strategy is illustrated for exploring potential alternate student reading paths if students are to attain the CCSS goal. Finally, implications derived from the student growth illustrations are discussed in relation to the Common Core text-complexity standard and its implementation.