Some states have developed clear standards on what students are expected to learn, but many still lag behind, according to
Sizing Up State Standards 2008. The study, released by the American Federation of Teachers, evaluated state standards using more stringent criteria than previous years. It also offers advice to help states improve their standards.
The study rates the performance of every state in the U.S., noting that:
- Sixteen states have the highest scores in meeting criteria. Virginia led with 100 percent. Arkansas, Indiana, and Louisiana made dramatic improvements.
- States at 75 percent include Alabama, California, Georgia, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
- Thirty-five states have inferior standards overall, including seven that lack clear standards for any grade or subject—Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
- Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Vermont,and Wyoming met the criteria in only 25 percent of grades and subjects.
The study also analyzes states’ standards, concluding that:
- English and social studies standards generally are weaker than math and science standards. Twenty-four states have strong math standards, and 22 have strong science standards; however, only eight states have strong English standards, and only two have strong social studies standards.
- High school standards are the weakest with just 25 percent of states having strong English standards and 47 percent having strong math standards. Too often, high school standards are clustered (e.g., one set of standards for grades 9-12) instead of being grade-specific or, better still, course-specific.
- States with weak standards have three main problems: Standards are repeated from grade to grade, are clustered for a range of grades (e.g., 9-12), or are incomplete or vague.
About the Report:Title: Sizing Up State Standards 2008Prepared by: The American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Date Published: April 2008