In This Issue

Teachers and students across America are feeling the push for high academic standards. The message: Expect more, demand more, achieve more. But the push isn't uniform from school to school. Depending on the state, the district, and the community, it can range from a gentle nudge to a forceful shove. That's because some states and districts are taking a wait-and-see attitude, while others have plunged in headlong. The skeptics wonder, Is the standards movement destined to be just another reform bandwagon that came and went? Meanwhile, the optimists have dedicated not only policy statements but also time and money to helping schools meet the benchmarks. They insist that standards are the rails upon which school reform will glide into the future.

If so, the journey promises to be a rough one for many educators. A recent special report from Education Week, which graded states' progress toward standards and accountability, handed out D's and F's to 20 states, including four in the Northwest. Only one of the region's states, Oregon, fared reasonably well, rating a B. Nationwide, just four states (Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, and New York) pulled off an A — a couple of them, miraculously, in spite of scarce resources.

At a recent NWREL forum on standards, Nanci Spear of Alaska's education department summed up the standards drive in her state this way: "We have some people who are really riding the train and staying with the movement. Then we've got other people who are doing a little piece here and a little piece there."

Even in Oregon, the Northwest leader in standards, schools are "all over the board," Carla Wade of the education department reported at the forum. "Some are embracing the movement. Others have blinders on, saying, 'If we ignore this, it will go away.'"

Even among the pacesetters, significant issues remain unresolved. One huge question turns on measurement: What's the best way to gauge students' progress toward standards? Multiple-choice tests can miss important learning goals, many experts argue. Yet the more authentic tests, such as portfolios and performance exams, are time- consuming and tough to score.

Another question at the heart of the debate is, What's at stake? Should standards-based tests be used to decide promotion from second to third grade? graduation from high school? Should teachers' salaries or principals' raises be determined by test results? The intense anxiety churned up by high-stakes tests is clear from recent news coverage. The papers have reported cheating scandals in places where the pressure is most intense. Broadcasters have aired stories about parental revolts, where moms and dads have taken to the streets in protest, refusing to send their kids to school on test day.

Other questions gnaw at the movement: How can schools maintain local control while beholden to a mandate from the state about what kids should know? Is it reasonable for legislatures to hand down standards without providing funding for teacher training, textbooks, and appropriate technologies? Do standards create one more roadblock to keep disadvantaged kids stalled on the sidelines? How can schools ensure that curriculum and instruction are aligned with district, state, and national goals?

Despite the unanswered questions, standards command the spotlight in school reform circles today. Supporters say that standards offer the best foundation for finally building an equitable education system — one that holds schools accountable for the learning of every child in every community.

In this issue, we survey the standards movement in the Northwest, sharing with you the opinions and experiences of the educators and kids who are affected by standards every day.

What do you think? Join the dialogue. Send us your opinion at nwedufeedback@nwrel.org.

— Lee Sherman