Welcome

The Utah State Board of Education, in January of 1984, established policy requiring the identification of specific core standards to be met by all K-12 students in order to graduate from Utah’s secondary schools. The Utah State Board of Education regularly updates the Utah Core Standards, while parents, teachers, and local school boards continue to control the curriculum choices that reflect local values.

The Utah Core Standards are aligned to scientifically based content standards. They drive high quality instruction through statewide comprehensive expectations for all students. The standards outline essential knowledge, concepts, and skills to be mastered at each grade level or within a critical content area. The standards provide a foundation for ensuring learning within the classroom.

The Utah Core Standards in language arts and mathematics are based on the Common Core State Standards, a state-led effort to better prepare students to compete in a global economy. Utah parents, educators, and subject-area experts participated in the creation of the Common Core State Standards. They were vetted thoroughly by the Utah State Board of Education and by parents who attended public meetings held across the state prior to the State Board’s unanimous vote to adopt them in 2010. The standards do not tie Utah to any federal programs, grants, or assessment systems, and the Utah State Board of Education is free to change the Utah Core Standards at any time.