The Ohio Resource Center has planned a series of projects that will assist Ohio's teachers in understanding and transitioning to Ohio's newly revised Academic Content Standards:

• ORC will continue to supply resources that are correlated to the current standards for as long as necessary to make the transition smooth.
• ORC will correlate its current database of resources to the newly revised standards and continue to augment its collection of best and promising practice lessons and instructional resources.
• ORC will publish a set of curriculum tools to be used by schools and districts both public and private in analyzing current curriculum and transitioning to the newly revised standards. These tools will assist educators in examining their current practices, resources, textbooks, and courses, making the adjustment necessary to move the school or district forward and bring the teachers, administrators, and community on board.
• ORC will continue to develop and publish innovative and important professional development opportunities.
• ORC will bring into play the full collection of resources from Thinkfinity partner sites including those in the arts and in social studies. 
  
• ORC will work closely with the preK, K–12, college, technology, and adult education communities to determine their needs and provide resources that can be used in all venues. 
  
• ORC pledges continued cooperation with the Ohio Board of Regents, the Ohio Department of Education, eTech Ohio, and all state agencies to create an educational system that best serves the needs of all of the Ohio's students.
  

While this state's standards revision process is taking place as a required by law, it is not taking place in a vacuum. Beginning with the Governor's plan for education released in January 2009 and continuing through the passage of Ohio's biennial budget bill last summer, the emphasis has been on revising the state's standards and assessment system to support Ohio's students in meeting the challenges of the 21st century.  

On the national level, the President and his Secretary of Education have emphasized the need to revitalize the educational system, taking it beyond the goals outlined in No Child Left Behind. To that end, Ohio is currently planning its submission under the Race to the Top funding opportunity which puts more than $4 billion in the control of the Secretary to foster massive changes at the state level.

The emphasis on 21st century skills on a national level punctuates the need to promote learning that leads to 21st century jobs. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has named Ohio its 14th Leadership State. According to a news release issued from the Office of the Governor on October 22, 2009, Ohio has agreed to meet the following conditions over the next three years:

• Ensure that every educator participates in at least one significant professional development program focused on integrating 21st century skills into content.
• Update state standards to reflect a combination of skills and content.
• Develop and introduce one significant assessment of 21st century skills.

Additionally, Ohio has pledged its participation in the efforts of the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to produce a set of Common Core State Standards. These K–12 standards for mathematics and English language arts are currently in development and are scheduled to be released early in 2010. However, the group has already issued the first draft set of College and Career Readiness Standards in mathematics and English language arts. They have been offered for public comment and are now in a revision phase. Once the K–12 Common Core Standards are finalized nationally, states will be able to adopt them with some local modifications. According to a statement from the CCSSO and NGA, the Common Core Standards will have a different look and feel:

"The common core state standards will be fewer, clearer, and higher. They will articulate to parents, teachers, and the general public expectations for what students will know and be able to do grade by grade and when they graduate from high school. The standards will be internationally benchmarked, evidence- and research-based, and ready for states to adopt."