K–12 Education in the United States: Should We Implement National Standards and Assessments?

Abstract

In the face of increasing technical demands from the international labor market, U.S. students’ math and science scores indicate a competitive disadvantage. Presently, states and equivalent state-level units control content standards and assessments for all students, creating over 50 distinct systems of measuring student success. This paper examines the possible use of national-level standards and assessments and evaluates such a policy based on effectiveness, political feasibility, cost, and administrative feasibility. Instituting national standards and assessments for elementary and secondary students could improve the competitiveness of the workforce in the United States if the standards are set at rigorous levels.