NATIONAL STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS - WILL THEY IMPROVE EDUCATION

National standards and assessments have been promoted as a means for u pgrading curriculum and student performance in schools. This article a rgues that they are unlikely to have that effect for several reasons: First, top-down specifications of content linked to tests cannot take into account the many pathways to learning that will be appropriate fo r different students in schools across the country. Second, school com munities must undertake their own hard work on standard setting and co nsensus development if they are to become committed to and knowledgeab le about change. And, finally, large inequalities in opportunities to learn are more responsible for learning gaps than a paucity of tests. Standards and tests have already proved themselves to be an ineffectua l means for leveraging resource equalization. Inequalities in learning opportunities must be addressed head-on if they are ever to be succes sfully removed. The article argues that, instead of starting with cont ent and performance standards, policies should aim to create a system in which improved teacher knowledge and equalized school capacity are the starting points for systemic change. In such a system, teachers an d schools will have the knowledge, resources, and organizational suppo rts to create appropriate curriculum and useful assessments for the st udents they serve.