ABSTRACT
In the United States a standards-based movement in education surfaced in the 1980s and then coalesced as a dominant force in changing the way educators think about curriculum, instruction, and student learning. Standards are now used to provide teachers and administrators guidance on the establishment of general grade-level content and performance expectations. Over time, such recommendations have become more focused and specifi c; standards, particularly at the state level, are no longer seen as general guidelines, but contain very specifi c learning targets that children are expected to reach by certain grade levels.
