Standards-Based Reform (continued)

The future of standards-based reform

Standards-based reform enjoys widespread support as a school improvement strategy among policymakers, educators, and the general public (see, for example, Public Agenda's coverage of education issues.) This is not to say, however, that it is free of controversy. Some well-known leaders in education are critical of standards claiming they undermine teachers’ professionalism and ability to individualize instruction for different learners (for example, Deborah Meier on standards and the future of public education in the Boston Review.)

Much of the criticism, however, is not about the standards themselves but rather their implementation, particularly the provisions for testing and accountability. Many observers express concern that an over-reliance on standardized tests will skew classroom instruction toward content and skills that can be most easily tested at the expense of critical thinking and creativity. Some critics further maintain that there is a limit to how much schools can compensate for distressed family circumstances, charging that the current high-stakes environment is unrealistic and unfair to schools (for example, Richard Rothstein on the achievement gap).

Still, many others support high-stakes testing, arguing that it casts a needed spotlight on the underachievement of many American students, in particular low-income and minority youth whose low achievement had previously been hidden behind school and district averages. Proponents point to the gains these students are showing on standards-based tests as proof that the strategy is working to close achievement gaps (see Grissmer and Flanagan). They maintain that anything less than a system that enforces high standards for all is unfair to students (see Education Trust).

Even though districts are bound to state and NCLB requirements, they still have some latitude in determining how to best prepare their students. This will include passing the state test, of course, because the results tell the community whether their young people are able to compete with peers across the state. But in the end, students’ success will not be defined by the test alone but by other attributes the community and the outside world value as well. 

This guide was prepared by Patte Barth, director of the Center for Public Education.

Posted: March 23, 2006
©2006 Center for Public Education.