What is the appropriate role for student achievement standards?

American policymakers are trying to deal with low standards and weak incentives for hard study by making students, staff, and schools more accountable for learning. The education departments of the 50 states have responded by developing content standards for core academic subjects, administering tests assessing this content to all students, publishing individual school results, and holding students and schools accountable for student achievement. While these efforts are generically referred to as standards-based reform, the mix of initiatives varies a great deal from state to state.