This article reports that the National standards--once the untouchable "third rail" of American education policy--now have the backing of the nation's governors, a growing number of education leaders, and the U.S. secretary of education. The National Governors Association last week adopted a policy statement endorsing a process to develop common academic standards by comparing student performance on international tests. The governors join several education groups--the Council of the Great City Schools, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the American Federation of Teachers among them--in endorsing the idea that the nation should set a common definition of what students should know and be able to do.