Afternoon Announcements: President Obama Aims to Make Education More Affordable

The second op-ed on the Common Core State Standards to grace the pages of The New York Times in a week, Charles Blow writes that, “One strategy of changing our direction as a nation is the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, meant to teach children the skills they need to be successful in college and careers – skills like critical thinking and deep analysis.” The New York Times 

Despite attention from media and lawmakers, 62 percent of Americans – and 55 percent of public school parents – have never heard of the Common Core standards, according to a Gallup poll, released today. The standards aim to set a consistent benchmark across all states, and emphasize 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving. High School Notes

President Obama says he is on “a personal mission” to make higher education more affordable. But a key factor in rising college prices in recent years is a trend he has little power to reverse: a sharp decline in state funding for public colleges and universities. The Washington Post

Just more than one-quarter of students who took the ACT college entrance exam this year scored high enough in math, reading, English and science to be considered ready for college or a career, data released Wednesday showed. The Washington Post