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Of all the education reforms that have emerged over the past 15 years, none has been more powerful and enduring than the push to establish challenging academic standards for students. Today, the standards-based approach constitutes the primary reform strategy of most states and districts. They are relying on standards, among other things, to improve efficiency, generate challenging curriculum, create greater system coherence and serve as the basis for new ways of measuring and attaching consequences to the performance of students, teachers and schools.

To what extent is this strategy working? Clearly, there is no simple or definitive answer. But the little research that has been done so far suggests the following:

  • First, standards have the potential to be an engine of change and improvement, but only if states redesign other system components — curriculum, assessment, accountability, teacher education and professional development, and resource allocation — around them.


  • Second, states that have focused on aligning various components of their education system with standards have shown improvement in student achievement and school quality.


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This Issue Site provides an up-to-date look at the progress states are making in implementing standards, the challenges they are grappling with and the latest research findings on the effectiveness of standards-based reform.

For information regarding the Common Core State Standards, please click HERE. For all other information on standards, please use the left-hand tool bar.

 

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