This spring, 12th-graders in Minnesota and across the country will achieve a major life milestone. Thousands of fresh-faced teenagers will walk across a stage to receive a high school diploma. All will have completed their state's graduation requirements, which should mean that they're ready to pursue higher education.

In truth, far too many American high school graduates are not well-prepared for those next steps. They have a piece of paper stamped "Graduate," but not the knowledge and skills to go with it, in part because education standards vary widely from state to state.

That's one of several reasons why it makes sense to establish national standards. This week the nation moved closer to that worthy goal with the release of proposed uniform standards for math and English. The project was coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers.