We will not get there with a fragmented curriculum and a system in which there are no consequences for success or failure. They also have a common way of measuring student achievement to make sure that students in every school get the same high-level curriculum and teaching, and their exams have important consequences for the students. However, it is not enough for us to grab on to the idea of standards and assessments. In fact, most states have started developing standards, but a recent AFT study found that fewer than one-third had standards in core subjects that could be the basis of a rigorous curriculum. Vague standards and easy exams may keep politicians out of hot water, but they also keep us marking time when it comes to achieving the education goals.
Charter schools encourage people to create their own curriculums and assessments.
With vouchers, public money goes to private schools for whom state-developed curriculums and assessments are irrelevant. These schemes are very trendy, and politicians who support them are likely to get praise for being innovative, but they divert money and energy that we need to reach the education goals. You see the same thing in the Congress. When Congress passed the Goals 2000 legislation, it established funding to encourage and help states create standards and assessments. But now Congress has gone out of its way to encourage states to spend their Goals 2000 money on technology.