Academic Standards

Sensible Academic Standards

Academic standards are like a recipe or playbook.  A good recipe clearly states the how much of which ingredient is required.  A good playbook doesn't expect the impossible like running 100 yards at world record speeds.

And like a good recipe or playbook, academic standards allow for improvement.

Academic standards not only spell out what the community expects educators to accomplish, they are also the way to objectively measure performance.

Graduation Requirements That Mean Something

Electricians and auto mechanics must pass tough, hands-on tests before they can get certified to wire your home or fix your sedan.  Shouldn't we expect high-school students to demonstrate they know their stuff, too?

State Boards of Education approve graduation requirements — including proof that students have mastered fundamental skills, such as writing, reading comprehension, and analytical thinking.

In Massachusetts, for instance, students cannot receive a diploma if they fail to pass a comprehensive 10th grade assessment linked to that state's learning standards for English and math.  Other states require end-of-course tests, while New York offers a special diploma for stellar students who pass the state's demanding Regents exams.

The District of Columbia recently boosted graduation requirements to include four years of science and math instruction.  But how do we know students actually learned anything?

College admissions tests, such as the SAT, ACT, International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement exams seem to be challenging the notion that classroom time alone is a good measure.  But we have to be careful here because these tests aren't necessarily looking for the same things we're teaching.