How academic standards are decided, implemented and assessed can create controversy and conflict. In Minnesota, the greatest controversy around the content of the standards happened in 2003-04 over the Social Studies standards.
Now that standards have been adopted in each of the four core subjects—Language Arts (English), Math, Science and Social Studies—questions focus on implementation and assessment.
Oops! This is no longer true.
Now we get to go through the process all over again.
To begin again:
Conversations around the content of the standards happen at the state level. In an ideal world, this would be an open process engaging a broad range of stakeholders, including public school parents.
Conversations around implementation—the delivery of curriculum—happen at the local level as districts design courses and select curriculum materials to support the standards.
Conversations around assessment—the design and implementation of statewide tests aligned to the new standards—happen at the state level. The Minnesota Department of Education oversees this process and is accountable to the Minnesota State Legislature—and the people of Minnesota—for designing and implementing valid tests that accurately reflect the new standards and result in a fair assessment of student achievement.
For more information, see Testing Changes.
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