Only 35 percent of U.S. 8th graders were identified as proficient in math by the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). According to the most recent calculations available, the United States stands at the 32nd rank in math among nations in the industrialized world. In reading, the U.S. ranks 17th in the world (see "Are U.S. Students Ready to Compete?" features, Fall 2011). The low performance of U.S. students has been attributed to low expectations set by states under the 2002 federal law, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which expects all students to reach full proficiency by 2014. In this, the fifth in a series of "Education Next" reports, the authors compare the proficiency standards set by each state to those set by NAEP, which has established its proficiency bar at levels comparable to those of international student assessments. Despite the controversy, 45 states have officially adopted CCSS, pledging themselves to a high, common definition of expected student competencies, to be assessed by common tests starting in 2015. Whether or not that commitment is reflected in any lifting of standards in practice in the meantime is the question investigated in this report.