Standards are a description of what students should understand or be able to do. With each standard there are accompanying benchmarks. A benchmark is a statement of learning that students will be expected to master by the end of a given grade level. Level IV Standards and benchmarks will be organized by these levels initially, with the intent to create grade level and course benchmarks by the end of the Standards and Benchmarks Revision phase.
Standards serve as rigorous goals for teaching and learning.
Setting high standards enables students, parents, educators, and citizens to know what students should have learned at a given point in time. The absence of standards has consequences similar to a lack of goals in any pursuit. Without clear goals, students do not have something to aim for. Contemporary society is placing immense academic demands on students. Clear statements about what students must know and be able to do are essential to ensure that our schools offer students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success.