This 2015 Brown Center Report (BCR) represents the fourteenth edition of the series since the first issue was published in 2000. It includes three studies. Like all previous BCRs, the studies explore independent topics but share two characteristics: they are empirical and based on the best evidence available. The studies in this edition are on the gender gap in reading, the impact of the Common Core State Standards--English Language Arts on reading achievement, and student engagement. The report is composed of three parts as follows: Part 1 examines the gender gap in reading. Girls outscore boys on practically every reading test given to a large population--and they have for a long time. The gap is not confined to the U.S. Reading tests administered as part of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) reveal that the gender gap is a worldwide phenomenon. In more than sixty countries participating in the two assessments, girls are better readers than boys. Part 2 covers reading achievement also. More specifically, it is about reading and the English Language Arts standards of the Common Core (CCSS-ELA). It's also about an important decision that policy analysts must make when evaluating public policies--the determination of when a policy begins. Part 3 covers student engagement. PISA tests fifteen-year-olds on three subjects--reading, math, and science--every three years. It also collects a wealth of background information from students, including their attitudes toward school and learning. Additionally, a secondary analysis of several dimensions of engagement found in the PISA report are reported, such as intrinsic motivation, that internal reward that encourages students to learn and is an important component of student engagement.