“Content standards specify what students should know at each grade level and, by extension, what should be taught.” (EdSource, Standards and Curriculum Overview) In response to a growing concern about the caliber of public education in California in the mid-1990’s, a movement to develop specific academic performance standards for each grade level was born. By 1999, California’s State Board of Education had adopted statewide academic content standards in four core areas: English Language Arts, Math, History/Social Studies, and Science. In 2001, the State Board of Education also adopted content standards for Visual and Performing Arts as well as English Language Development. These content standards are very detailed, specifying what students should know at each grade level and what should be taught.

Local districts are free to develop standards in other areas, such as foreign language, physical education and health, for which there currently are no state standards. Additionally, many school districts pay close attention to UC and California State University admission requirements to ensure that their programs prepare students for college.

From these grade-level-specific standards, “frameworks” are developed by the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission (which also recommends textbooks and other instructional materials to be adopted by the State Board of Education). Curriculum frameworks are the blueprints for implementing the content standards adopted by the State Board of Education. They provide teachers and parents with guidelines and examples for teaching specific standards. They also address such issues as how to differentiate the curriculum for students needing additional practice or students needing additional challenge.

California has set the bar high – our content standards are generally considered to be among the most rigorous in the nation. Consequently, California’s public school students are expected to perform tasks and exhibit skills that may be more advanced than those required of students in the same grade level in a different state. Because California faces unique circumstances of diversity and need within its student population, some education experts have argued that the State of California needs to devote additional resources to helping all students meet these rigorous standards. (EdSource, Is California on the Right Track?)

Naturally, with the establishment of standards comes the need to develop the means to measure whether they are being met. Federal and state education laws require school districts to administer several types of tests to evaluate student and overall school performance, based on the State standards, which have real-life consequences. Test results directly impact the eligibility and amount of federal and state funding a school district receives.

The primary vehicle used by California for assessing student performance is the Standardized Testing and Reporting System (STAR). During each summer, the State releases test data for testing completed the previous spring. Parents are mailed individual reports detailing their child’s performance. Each school’s and district’s results on the STAR test can be viewed and compared online.

Because academic assessments and tests have such high-stakes implications, there is constant discussion and debate about their quality and fairness, and ability to meaningfully reflect academic achievement and capability. Furthermore, many have concerns about whether education is compromised by shaping lesson plans that “teach to the test” rather than fostering broader knowledge. Nevertheless, it is recognized that educators need to have a way to compare all schools using the same measure. The Department of Education cautions that test scores should never be used as the sole criterion for decisions on student performance and placement.