For many school districts in the United States, making the transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is proving to be a challenge at a time when they are already facing many obstacles, not the least of which is dwindling financial resources. A change of this magnitude cannot be made haphazardly; to be successful in its goal of helping students better prepare for the 21st century, it must be done with strong leadership and true intentionality. For the majority of states, ready or not, the CCSS are coming and now is the time to take the lead in making implementation as seamless and successful as possible. In this article, the author provides some background information about the CCSS, and offers some steps in implementing the CCSS.