Nevada District Rolling Out Common Core Standards.

The Las Cruces (NM) Sun-News (1/8, Cook) reports that the school district in Las Cruces, Nevada, "has embarked on implementing the Common Core State Standards for all students in kindergarten and first, second and third grades." The district "has been preparing CCSS assessments, instructional materials and professional development materials for the last two years so it can roll out new standards for English language arts and mathematics to begin the 2012-13 school year."

Common Core Changing North Carolina Kindergarten Instruction.

The Fayetteville (NC) Observer (1/7, Jenkins) reports that North Carolina kindergarten classes "are more rigorous this year because of new Common Core State Standards in mathematics and language arts that went into effect this academic year. ... While students in middle and high schools and even some elementary grades are used to standardized curriculum and tests, the implementation is especially noticeable in kindergarten." The piece notes that kindergarten students are performing tasks that would once have been associated with first grade instruction.