Academic Standards - Good or Bad?

Learning standards require students to show what they know and how they are able to take what they have learned and use it. Standards are expectations and guide what is taught in class.

The standards movement began in 1989 when the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) developed math standards. Also in 1989, Congress adopted eight new national standards.

Schools need standards because students need to know there are expectations. Standards allow teachers to see how students are performing and helps the teacher to plan classroom activities. Standards also focus reform efforts.

In a standards-based classroom, a person should see high-level activity. In the classroom, questioning, reflecting, analyzing, discussing, writing and experiments should be taking place.

I believe there should be standards for all content areas. Students need to know that there is a certain level of expectation required by their teachers.

There is the issue of who should set standards and how high or low standards may be set. As of right now, I don't have a problem with there being national standards or state standards. This could of course change once I'm am actually teaching.