Standards for Our Schools: How to Set Them, Measure Them, and Reach Them

by Marc S. Tucker, Judy B. Codding

"A must read for those seeking high standards for all students. With unusual insight, the authors address the major issues, offering inspirational examples of schools that succeed." --Jerome T. Murphy, professor and dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education

This timely, tough-minded book shows how American public schools can be saved by instituting high standards for academic achievement. It explains not just what the standards movement is about and why it is important, but also what it will take to bring every student up to high standards, no matter where that student starts.

Tucker and Codding focus on empowering both students and adults by giving students the gift of high expectations and by giving school professionals the information, skills, authority and resources needed to do the job. They advocate building a standards-based instructional system, creating a results-oriented culture devoted to continuous improvement, and making the institution and the people in it accountable for reaching the goals set by the standards.

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 23, 1998

Reviews

[Barbara Bjelke-Wahlberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this book for by M.Ed. Administrative Leadership class. It is very readable with real like situations, although it is a little dated, pre-NCLB, and still discussing the New Standards Performance Standards. However, it is quite an eye-opener when it comes to the level of education we expect from our students and the level expected in Europe and Asia. We are not even preparing our students for entry level jobs in competitive technologies. I think we are on our way, considering how we are turning our curricula inside out and assessing not only what we teach, but how we teach it. I am hoping we are able to turn all of our students into productive citizens, if not for their sake, for our own, as well, since they are the future.