Student Learning Expectations Gap Across Nation

What students are expected to know in one state may be up to four grade levels behind the expectations set in another state.

A new report by the American Institutes for Research compared what is expected in Massachusetts to what is expected in the states with the lowest standards. The difference between the standards in Massachusetts and those of the states with the lowest standards was comparable to as much as four grade levels. In other words, the 8th grade performance standards in the states with the lowest standards were comparable in difficulty to the 4th grade performance standards in Massachusetts.