By having standards, schools send the message that all students are expected to gain certain knowledge and skills. Standards mean that schools will not expect less of some students and more of others. Standards help teachers focus on teaching a specific body of knowledge and skills. This helps them make decisions on how to use classroom time. Standards help coordinate what is taught in the different classrooms.
Standards help schools and parents determine what they each can do to help students achieve.
They are used to develop the school compact, which is the written statement of what schools and parents are each supposed to do to help students achieve. Standards provide a way to measure student progress. They are used in the school profile, the report card on the school. Any school that receives Title I money must have standards for its students. And, it must use the same standards for all students, both those served by Title I programs and all others in the school.