Standards & Accountability
Read more about the skills students are expected to acquire and policies designed to hold schools accountable for learning
What’s the Purpose of Standards in Education? An Explainer
What are standards? Why are they important? What's the Common Core? Do standards improve student achievement? Our explainer has the answers.
- Standards & Accountability State Accountability Systems Aren't Actually Helping 69´«Ă˝ ImproveThe systems under federal education law should do more to shine a light on racial disparities in students' performance, a new report says.SponsorThis content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.Accreditation and accountability are two distinct processes with different goals, yet the distinction between them is sometimes lost among educators.Standards & Accountability What the Research Says More than 1 in 4 69´«Ă˝ Targeted for Improvement, Survey FindsThe new federal findings show schools also continue to struggle with absenteeism.Standards & Accountability Opinion What’s Wrong With Online Credit Recovery? This Teacher Will Tell YouThe “whatever it takes” approach to increasing graduation rates ends up deflating the value of a diploma.Standards & Accountability Why a Judge Stopped Texas from Issuing A-F School RatingsDistricts argued the new metric would make it appear as if schools have worsened—even though outcomes have actually improved in many cases.Standards & Accountability Why These Districts Are Suing to Stop Release of A-F School RatingsA change in how schools will be graded has prompted legal action from about a dozen school districts in Texas.Standards & Accountability Florida's New African American History Standards: What's Behind the BacklashThe state's new standards drew national criticism and leave teachers with questions.Standards & Accountability Here’s What’s in Florida’s New African American History StandardsStandards were expanded in the younger grades, but critics question the framing of many of the new standards.Standards & Accountability Opinion How One State Found Common Ground to Produce New History StandardsA veteran board member discusses how the state school board pushed past partisanship to offer a richer, more inclusive history for students.Standards & Accountability What the Research Says What Should 69´«Ă˝ Do to Build on 20 Years of NCLB Data?The education law yielded a cornucopia of student information, but not scalable turnaround for schools, an analysis finds.Standards & Accountability Education Secretary: Standardized Tests Should No Longer Be a 'Hammer'But states won't ease accountability requirements until federal law tells them to do so, policy experts say.Standards & Accountability The Architects of the Standards Movement Say They Missed a Big PieceDecisions about materials and methods can lead to big variances in the quality of instruction that children receive.Standards & Accountability Political Debate Upends Texas Social Studies Standards ProcessThe Lone Star State is the latest to throw out a set of standards after conservative activists organized in opposition.Standards & Accountability Opinion Educators Weigh In on Implementing the Common Core, Even NowThough outlawed in some states, the standards still offer a strong foundation for English, math, and other subjects.Standards & Accountability The Sex Ed. Battleground Heats Up (Again). Here's What's Actually in New StandardsVocal opposition from some conservative groups has put a spotlight on schools’ instructional choices.