John Kendall (Series Editor) is Senior Director in Research at McREL in Denver. Having joined McREL in 1988, Mr. Kendall conducts research and development activities related to academic standards. He directs a technical assistance unit that provides standards-related services to schools, districts, states, and national and international organizations. He is the author of Understanding Common Core State Standards, the senior author of Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K–12 Education, and the author or coauthor of numerous reports and guides related to standards-based systems. These works include High School Standards and Expectations for College and the Workplace; Essential Knowledge: The Debate over What American Students Should Know; and Finding the Time to Learn: A Guide. He holds an MA in Classics and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder.