Standards-Based Reform: Panacea for the Twenty-First Century?.

Introduction The issue of accountability for student achievement stands at the forefront of American education. Educators, parents, and business representatives have joined forces to support improvements in hopes of requiring our children to attain the knowledge and develop the skills necessary for life. As a result, high standards, assessments, and benchmarks have been established. However, critics cite numerous problems with standards. For example, just what are students expected to learn? And how do we go about implementing the standards? Have we gone far enough in the standards movement? To become productive members of society, students need to know more than standardized-test items. How should students be prepared for their future roles as citizens? Ethics and values, even if difficult to measure, are essential in such preparation. Education is in a constant state of change, and one of the most active areas of change is the standards movement. The major premise of the movement lies in the expectation that one hardly knows where to go or what to do without a firm grasp of projected goals or outcomes.