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KNIGHTDALE, N.C. — The sweet days of summer have come to an end for hundreds of thousands of students across the state.

The new school year brings new changes to the curriculum across the state. This is the first year North Carolina will adopt new Common Core Standards for education. They are standards seen in more than 40 states across the country.

Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata said that they are bringing into the classroom what is called '21st Century skills'. After last year's increase in graduation rates, he expects to see the increase continue.

"It's so important right now," said Tata. "We're going to see more rigor, more collaboration, more communication, all the things we call 21st century skills."

Tata also made a plea to the citizens of Wake County to drive safe on the roads, as there are 20,000 bus stops and over 2,500 bus runs with 900 buses on the runs.