As with many previous K-12 educational reform efforts, expectations that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010) will assist students in learning so that they can prepare for college and the workforce are very high (American College Testing, 2012). Briefly, the CCSS "are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to take credit bearing introductory courses in two- or four-year college programs or enter the workforce" (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2013, p. 1). There is an assumption that CCSS will provide a concise framework for increasing student learning in mathematics and English language arts, prepare students for college, and ensure that the demands of a highly skilled and internationally competitive workforce are fulfilled (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010). It is the prerogative of the states to adopt the standards; however, the considerable alignment between the standards and federal grant funding, educational policy, and student learning assessments is motivational. It is anticipated that CCSS will enable students to learn more content, develop deeper content knowledge, and progress more effectively along more strategically aligned learning trajectories (Daro, Mosher, & Corcoran, 2011). However, as with any K-12 educational reform effort, the effectiveness of the CCSS is largely dependent on the knowledge and perceptions of the educators who will implement the standards (Bryk & Schneider, 2003). We contend that, if CCSS are to fulfill their intended goals, states, school districts, and educators need to implement the standards with fidelity. Thus, there is a need to understand the degree to which teachers and administrators know and perceive the standards, as their knowledge and perceptions are likely to influence their implementation of the standards. Investigations of educator perceptions and knowledge of reform efforts are rare. Moreover, our search of the literature failed to reveal any reports of educators' perceptions and knowledge of CCSS. Thus, our research addresses this gap, provides insight into potential issues faced by future K-12 reform efforts, and offers school districts useful information for guiding their implementation efforts.