Widespread implementation of the CCSS underway

School is back in session for most students around the country. However, for many of them, this will be an academic year like no other. Over the course of the 2013-2014 school year, 21 states will fully implement the Common Core State Standards in all grade levels, USA Today reported.

A total of 45 states have adopted the CCSS and agreed to test students using more rigorous and Common Core-aligned assessments. To date, seven states and the District of Columbia are currently teaching according to the Standards.

"This school year marks the first time there is a large-scale, widespread implementation of the Common Core Standards across the country," Michael Cohen, president of the nonprofit organization Achieve, told the news source. "Some states have taken longer than others, and that's OK. This is not a race. This is a way to improve education."

With the implementation of the CCSS comes the need for new classroom resources, such as those that are aligned with the Common Core. As the cost of these materials can be rather high, it is easy to see why the transition to the new Standards has not been an overnight process.

For example, a 2012 report from the Thomas Fordham Institute revealed that implementation costs in California could reach as high as $1.6 billion.