Title I Part A, Section 1111;
Regulations: Section 200.12

State Content and Academic Achievement Standards

The NCLB state accountability system is based on the development of state content and academic achievement standards which are measured by state assessments and compared to the “adequate yearly progress” expectations. Each state is allowed to develop their own standards, assessments and AYP expectations, with review by the US Department of Education.

State Content and Academic Achievement Standards in Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics and Science

Every state receiving NCLB funding must develop both content and academic achievement standards in reading/language arts, mathematics, and science that must be aligned with assessments in the same subject areas for grades 3-8 and high school:

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 Content Standards specify what all students are expected to know and the information that should be covered in the three subject areas and grade levels.
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 Academic Achievement Standards describe how well the students are acquiring the information and skills as defined by the content standards and measured by the state assessment test(s).
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 Cut scores are a major element of the Academic Achievement Standards. They separate one level of achievement from another and are arbitrarily determined by the state. NCLB requires two levels of “high” achievement: proficient and advanced, and a third “lower” level of achievement: basic. States have the flexibility to give different names to these levels. For example, Maine’s achievement levels are called: exceeds standards, meets standards, and partially meets standards. States also have the flexibility to have more than three levels such as Louisiana, which has five levels: advanced, proficient, basic, approaching basic, and unsatisfactory.
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 All students are expected to achieve at the proficient level under NCLB requirements (see AYP Action Brief).