The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) requires the preparing of students for college and careers in a new way, equipping them with a deeper understanding of concepts and skills in literacy and mathematics. Under the new standards in both reading and math, students will be asked to demonstrate and apply what they have learned in ways that are fundamentally different from what was expected in the past. The Council analyzed items from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) that were similar in structure, rigor, and complexity to the requirements of the common core standards, as well as sample assessment items released by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). In this booklet, the Council analyses--two mathematics items and two English Language arts items--shows how students did on these questions, discusses what may have been missing from their instruction, and outlines what changes to curriculum and instruction might help districts and schools advance student achievement. It also poses a series of questions that district leaders should be asking themselves about curriculum, professional development, and other instructional supports with the goal of better articulating what needs to change in classrooms, schools, and central offices in order to realize the full promise of the common core. Appended to the report are: (1) Sample NAEP Reading Passages and (2) City-by-City NAEP Item Results.