We have compiled a grade point average for each state. Many state standards are extremely vague. Any serious academic standard must be clear, specific, and measurable. Unfortunately, many states have produced vague and nebulous documents. Far too many states cast their standards in terms that will likely leave curriculum developers, students, and teachers scratching their heads as to just what is expected of them.
States supply various excuses for vagueness.
To us, however, placing value on important bodies of knowledge is exactly the point of standards. Indeed, by spelling out which books children should read in English class, which individuals and events to study in history, and so on, states signal their decisions about what's truly important for children to know and do. These matters are the stuff of great debate, yet they're also the essence of academic standards. Avoiding the debates means crippling the standards. That makes for a good sound bite but is really an abdication of responsibility.