Unlike many countries, the United States does not have a government mandated
curriculum, nor mandatory performance or content standards or assessment. As late as 1996,
only fourteen of the fifty states had state performance or content standards. Now only
Iowa lacks such standards. In 1995, the California state legislature ordered the drafting
of state performance and content standards. The state board of education has adopted these
discipline by discipline. California's standards are considered among the most demanding
in the country. The Los Angeles Times quoted Diane Ravitch, a leading scholar on
education trends, as saying, "Right now, they're the best in the country. First of
all, they are clear. They tell teachers what they should be teaching, and students what
they're expected to learn" (Los Angeles
Times, Nov. 18, 1998).
Unfortunately, barely half of California's public school teachers say they are
"very familiar with the content of the standards." And fewer still are prepared
to deliver instruction geared to helping their students meet these standards (California Educator,
Nov. 1999).
Through our teacher training efforts (the summer institute and our school site
programs), the CEAS K-12 outreach program equips teachers to help their students meet many
of the skill and content standards.
These standards web pages provide information about:
