State Education Standards – Part 1

 

The State of State Standards

How good are state academic standards? Are they better than two years ago? How many states now match solid standards with strong school accountability? Those are the central questions examined by this report.

 

This report delivers a wealth of information.

·      For those interested in the standards movement in general, turn to the overview essay, "The State of State Standards in 2000."

• For those interested in trends in specific subjects, turn to the analytic essays:
• The State of State Standards in English
• The State of State Standards in History
• The State of State Standards in Geography
• The State of State Standards in Mathematics
• The State of State Standards in Science
• For state officials and other reformers interested in learning how individual jurisdictions fared, turn to our "State-by-State Reports." (Scroll down for links by state.)
• For those interested in the nitty-gritty details, turn to the Appendices, where you will find detailed grades for every subject, the criteria used in the evaluations, a list of state documents examined, and a table on state accountability systems. (Scroll down for a list of appendixes.)

Source:  Thomas B. Fordham Foundation

 

 

Each state in the U.S. has its own set of standards and assessment requirements. Links to the various state curriculum standards pages are listed below with a short description of what the standards represent in each of the states.

 

State Curriculum Standards

AL     AK     AZ     AR     CA     CO

CT     DE     FL      GA     HI      ID

 

Alabama   

The Classroom Improvement Section is responsible for the development, implementation, and assessment of the minimum curriculum content (standards) and course design for K-12 students in the public schools. It is responsible for instructional support that includes courses of study, instructional materials and research, curriculum alignment materials, recognition and scholarship programs, the textbook adoption program, and counseling and guidance services. The state assessment program, designed to measure the effectiveness of the implementation of instruction and curriculum, is also developed and implemented through this section. Implementation of the accountability law as defined by the Alabama Legislature is a major responsibility of Classroom Improvement. 

 

The Courses of Study Documents (COS) are available under Publications on the side menu. Of you have difficulty with the menus you can also use their search and enter “Course of Study” as the search term.

 

Alaska      

In 1993, developed content standards in ten core subject areas. The standards represent what Alaskans want students to know and be able to do as a result of their public schooling.

 

This website presents the content standards and their associated key elements for English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Government and Citizenship, Skills for a Healthy Life, Arts, World Languages, and Technology.

 

During 1994 and 1995, the Alaska State Board of Education adopted these standards and key elements as voluntary guidelines for Alaska’s schools.

 

                  Download an 8-1/2 x 11 poster of Alaska’s curriculum standards.

                  Abobe Acrobat is required for this file.

 

Arizona     

In addition to housing a complete copy of the Arizona curriculum standards, this site provides for the collection and reporting of statewide student achievement data through administration of both a nationally standardized, norm-referenced achievement test and a test of the Arizona Academic Standards, developed in conjunction with Arizona educators.

 

Arkansas  

Arkansas’ Learning Standards are defined in the Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks, discipline-based documents which clearly describe what students must know and be able to do in each academic content area at three critical levels: grades 4, 8, and 12.

 

The rigorous academic content standards and the student learning expectations within each document provide the focus for instruction for each local school district, without rigidly prescribing every element of the local curriculum. Student demonstration of the standards and learning expectations within the Arkansas Frameworks is the anchor for the entire education system, with instructional programs, state-level assessments, professional development, school improvement planning, teacher/administrator licensure, and accountability sharing the common goal of improved student learning and performance around these standards.

 

California 

The California State Board of Education has adopted core academic content standards in four curriculum areas for kindergarten through grade 12: English-language arts, mathematics, history-social science, and science. The core content standards are the basis for the subject matter frameworks, the adoption of K-8 instructional materials, and the standards-aligned tests in California's student performance assessment system.

The Challenge Standards - The Challenge Standards are provided to help school districts establish standards for content areas not adopted by the California State Board of Education.

 

Colorado  

The Colorado General Assembly and the State Board of Education have built Colorado's new education system around challenging academic standards. On this page find Colorado's model content standards for grades K-12, along with suggested grade level expectations for some subject areas and additional information on the standards-based education effort in Colorado.

 

Connecticut

The Connecticut Framework: K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards is a revised issuance of the Connecticut Common Core of Learning and a new guide to K-12 program development in 10 separate disciplines. The new curriculum frameworks are not a state mandate. They are intended to provide guidance to schools and districts that are developing curriculum.  Additional information can be found at the State Department of Education- Division of Teaching and Learning.

 

Delaware 

This Teacher's Desk Reference to Standards and Performance Indicators for Curriculum Planning and Unit Development is part of the Department of Education's ongoing efforts to provide assistance and support to local school districts in their development of a standards-based curriculum.

 

The Delaware Teachers' Desk Reference is in Adobe Acrobat format. The Teachers' Desk Reference has been divided into three levels, Elementary, Middle and Secondary. You may download the files by clicking on the files under the appropriate educational level. These files are large and may take a few minutes to download.

 

Florida      

The Sunshine State Standards were approved by the State Board of Education in 1996, to provide expectations for student achievement in Florida. The Standards approved in 1996 were written in seven subject areas, each divided into four separate grade clusters (PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12).  However, in the subject areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, the Sunshine State Standards have been expanded to include Grade Level Expectations.

 

These Grade Level Expectations will eventually become the basis for state assessments at each grade 3-10 in language arts and mathematics--and may eventually be used in state assessments in science and social studies. In addition to the Grade Level Expectations, course specific information for students in grades 6-12 can be found in the Florida Course Descriptions.

 

Georgia    

In 1995, the Quality Core Curriculum was revised. The revised QCC includes content standards for all subjects K-8 and 9-12 courses in English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign languages, fine arts, health, physical education, technology/career education, agriculture, and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

 

Hawaii

The following are key documents in the ongoing process of Standards-Based Reform...

• Hawaii Content and Performance Standards (HCPS) (Fall 99)... defines what students need to know, be able to do, and care about.
• Comprehensive Needs Assessment (Apr 99)... assesses the extent to which our public school system is meeting the educational needs of its students and suggests priorities for improvement
• Strategic Plan for Standards-Based Reform PDF (Fall 99)... lists the events, actors, and timetable needed to implement standards based reform.
• HCPS Performance Indicators... defines what does good performance look like? How good is good enough? Used by teachers to devise ways of teaching and measuring the students' achievements in attaining the content standards.
• Standards Implementation Design (SID) System (Aug 00).. framework for analyzing school performance, planning for improvement based on the analysis or performance, implementing the improvements, and assessing and evaluating results.

 

Idaho        

Exiting Standards are a means to ascertain that students not only complete particular courses, but that they have a specific level of content knowledge and demonstrated application in those subject areas. Standards guide program development and review as well as student assessment and program evaluation. Standards drive the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment as well as textbook and material adoption.