Indiana Ends Common Core Education Standards

Indiana’s experiment with Common Core is over.

Gov. Mike Pence signed legislation today requiring the state to come up with its own academic standards, making Indiana the latest state to pull its support for the national education standards known as Common Core.

“I believe our students are best served when decisions about education are made at the state and local level,” the Republican governor said, adding:

 By signing this legislation, Indiana has taken an important step forward in developing academic standards that are written by Hoosiers, for Hoosiers, and are uncommonly high.”

Indiana was among the first states to adopt Common Core standards in 2010 when Mitch Daniels, another Republican, was governor. Pence, elected two years later, has watched as Indiana became a battleground in the fight over the standards.

>>> Read More: Indiana’s Uncommon Ruckus Over Education Standards

Pence’s signature comes 10 days after the Indiana legislature voted to remove the state from Common Core.

Heritage Foundation education analyst Brittany Corona praised Pence for ending the “one-size-fits-all national standards,” and setting a precedent for the other 45 states currently under Common Core to follow. Corona said:

 Indiana now has an opportunity to improve on its previous state standards—which were among the best in the nation—by utilizing those standards in conjunction with standards from other high-performing states such as Massachusetts. Most importantly, Indiana’s actions put educational decision-making back in the hands of Hoosiers, where it belongs.”

At least 15 other states aren’t using, or have grown increasingly wary of, Common Core. The map below shows the current status of states that never adopted the standards, downgraded their involvement, or paused implementation.

This story was produced by The Foundry’s news team. Nothing here should be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation.