Promotions are based on attendance rather than proficiency. High standards for graduation promise to change that. Standards specify what graduates are expected to know and be able to do as a condition of earning a diploma. Academic standards describe the knowledge and skills which students will be expected to demonstrate before graduating from public school. Pittsburgh has 62 academic standards.
Benchmarks are the specific expectations of student performance at critical levels of school.
Makes public the knowledge and skills needed for success. Teachers, parents, taxpayers and children will be clear about what students are expected to know and be able to do. Provides a clear focus for instruction, learning and assessment. Some students take less time to achieve proficiency than others do, and students also master different subjects at different times. But proficiency is the only result that counts.