Myriad publications discuss content standards, performance standards, state standards, national standards and more. As America struggles to achieve high quality education for all its children, teachers are being asked to make sure their students measure up to rigorous standards. In the past, many educators had low expectations for certain groups, particularly poor and minority students. These students were never given the same kinds of high level learning experiences as their peers.
Equal standards level the playing field.
Third, standards lead to accountability. Now they can be held accountable for poor performance and steps can be taken toward improvement. And fourth, because assessment, curricula and instruction are all tied to standards, high standards lead to better quality in every area. Educate America Act, which provided states with some funding to establish high, competitive standards for their students. Several states had also indicated willingness to participate in voluntary national tests in reading at fourth grade and math at eighth grade to help parents and teachers compare students' performance against national and international standards.