Smart Start II Why Standards Matter Author:Patte Barth, Ruth Mitchell In the 1990s educational reformers in the United States began a movement unlike any other in the long history of educational efforts-to get schooling to match promises with results. Standards-based education, born out of this reform movement, is based on a simple premise: tell everyone publicly what all students should know and be able to do; an... more »d let schools figure out how best to ensure their students can do what is required by the standards.« less