The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represent an extraordinary opportunity for education in the U.S.: Not only do they provide for the first time a common platform for states to collaborate and to compare performance, but they also align expectations for student achievement with the demands of college and careers in the 21st century and the expectations of top-performing nations. This Rubric and Self-Assessment Tool is designed to support state leaders in assessing and continuously improving their efforts to implement the new standards and forthcoming aligned assessments. Because the goal is to ensure educators throughout a state have the resources and skills to succeed, the rubric and tool suggest the essential steps and strong actions states will need to consider to succeed. The rubric is purposefully not a checklist, but rather it is designed to guide ongoing efforts to plan and execute on those plans. It is intended to push states towards coherent approaches: carefully chosen activities attuned to real needs in the state, districts and schools, properly sequenced to provide maximum support at the building level and crafted with a clear logic. The tool is also seen as a living document, one that will be updated and improved based on state experience and implementation lessons. References consulted are appended.