Volume 5, Issue 5
August 13, 2008
Federal NCLB legislation requires that state policymakers set curricular standards and administer exams aligned to these standards in reading, math, and science. With a nod toward local control, NCLB allows each state to set unique standards for proficiency in each of these subject areas. The predictable result: in many states, policymakers have set low standards to create the appearance of success with high numbers of students meeting those standards. Interestingly, the standards set in Arkansas are among the highest in the nation!