A vision of competence.

• Author: Proffer, Lanny
• Position: New academic standards - Includes related articles

Rigorous new academic standards are predicated on the belief that every American student will do better--if challenged.

The best that can be said about having low expectations is that one is seldom disappointed. And nowhere are low expectations more apparent than in American education. While students in America have trouble identifying their country on a map and can't read as well as their peers of 20 years ago, Asian and European students consistently perform at remarkably high levels.

No one doubts the potential of American students. The best of our students equal or exceed the very best in other countries. America still wins the lion's share of the Nobel Prizes. But the economic and intellectual future of our country cannot be built on our elite students alone. All students need to realize their full potential.

By the mid-1980s frustrated business leaders were telling their legislators and governors that the schools were failing. Many high school graduates needed remedial training in basic academic subjects before they could meet even minimum employment standards. Led by a group of southern governors including Bill Clinton, the National Governors' Association began work on a set of principles that became the National Education Goals. In addition to enumerating five core subjects that all students should master, the goals urged higher graduation rates, better preparation to begin school and the importance of safe, drug-free schools. With passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act now before Congress, the goals will carry the endorsement of the federal government. Adopted by the governors after their meeting with President Bush in 1989, the goals targeted English, mathematics, science, history and geography for mastery by all students. While they emphasize high academic achievement, the standards are not elitist. They are predicated on the belief that students can do better if they are expected to do better. Raise the bar, and the contestants will jump higher.

Measuring Outputs

In its emphasis on academic rigor and achievement in core subjects, the standards effort differs from some earlier reform ideas. Representative David Larson, a Vermont teacher and chair of the House Education Committee, describes academic standards and assessment as a major turnaround. "We used to think of education quality in terms of how much we put into the system. Now we focus on what students are able to do. It is the difference between measuring inputs and measuring outputs." Representative Pat Sullivan, author of Colorado's standards legislation, agrees. "I guess I have a standards bent. As a physician, I came from an environment that places importance on high standards and regular assessment. When I served as a school board member, I was surprised by the lack of emphasis or even information about education performance." By establishing clear and specific academic standards for what students should know and be able to do, states are trying to change the way we think about education. In the past, we assumed that if someone completed a course, they had a command of the subject. Governor Roy Romer of Colorado observes that most of us prefer to trust our lives to a pilot who has demonstrated that she can fly an airplane, not just that she has taken a course on flying or passed a written test on the elements of flying. That analogy is at the core of the standards movement. The parent, teacher and the student should know what is expected, and the student should be able to demonstrate that he has mastered the subject. The National Education Goals Panel, composed of governors, members of Congress and representatives of the administration, was created to monitor progress toward the national goals. It encouraged professional organizations representing the various academic subjects to help the reform effort by defining what students should know and be able to do. The organizations accepted the challenge and began to assemble scholars, teachers, parents, business representatives and others to write standards.

A Tool for State Educators

The dozen or so groups that are preparing draft standards as resources for the states are focusing on the content of their disciplines. The process involves a searching analysis of the subject matter and the distilling of what is most important for every student to know. These critical principles and elements are then described and catalogued in a manner that facilitates teaching and learning.

The mathematics group has published its standards. Geography, science, English and history should complete their work by the fall of 1994. Several other disciplines are drafting standards also. For the states, the standards will be a timesaver and a valuable resource...