The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects ("the standards") are the culmination of an extended, broad-based effort to fulfill the charge issued by the states to create the next generation of K-12 standards in order to help ensure that all students are college and career ready in literacy no later than the end of high school. For grades 6-12, the standards for literacy in history/social studies provide additional specificity for the application of reading and writing skills to History/Social Studies.  In lower grades, these skills are integrated into the reading and writing strands.