Common Core State Standards: A set of academic standards developed by states in collaboration with educators that outline what students should know at each grade level.
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB): A federal law passed in 2001 aiming to improve student achievement by holding schools accountable for their performance based on standardized test scores.
Charter Schools: Public schools that operate independently but receive funding from public sources. They have more flexibility in curriculum design and teaching methods compared to traditional public schools.