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by Susan Tave Zelman

As all good business people know, if you want to compete and succeed in your field, you have to meet certain standards. And it’s much the same with students in our schools today. If we want our students to be prepared for college, careers and life in the 21^st century, they must meet certain standards.

That’s why we’re proud that Ohio now has academic content standards in all core subjects at all grade levels from K-12. These standards spell out what students should know and be able to do in mathematics, science, English language arts, social studies, technology, foreign language and the arts as they progress through each grade level.

Students must have a strong foundation in these core subjects so they can solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, apply technology and manage resources. These skills are essential to understanding the scientific and economic principles of agribusiness, animal science and management, agricultural and industrial technology, food science, horticulture and natural resource management. Challenging academic standards are important to the future of Ohio’s agricultural communities.

Some people misunderstand standards-based education and think we’re talking about "standardization" or dumbing down what’s being taught. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hundreds of Ohio teachers, business and industry representatives, parents, community leaders and higher education faculty developed the state’s tough academic standards. Academic content standards lay the groundwork for what our students will need to succeed in postsecondary education and the work force. Teachers can then construct creative and challenging curriculum that is engaging, inspiring and relevant to their students and the world they will face.

Standards give everyone a common language – teachers know what to teach and students know what they need to learn. But it wasn’t always that way in Ohio. In the past, schools were sorting factories where some kids went onto college and others went into manufacturing and labor. What you learned often depended on where you lived. Teachers often expected more of children in wealthier communities than they did of students in poorer areas. These expectations also differed from school to school and classroom to classroom.

Today, manufacturing jobs are increasingly scarce. A high school diploma no longer guarantees a living wage. The global marketplace demands that our nation’s students have advanced, high-tech skills to compete for jobs that are increasingly being outsourced to other countries. As a state and a nation, we can’t afford to expect anything less than the best from our public education system.

Common academic content standards are ensuring that all students are learning what they need to prepare them for competition in this 21^st century knowledge economy. And we are seeing results. Student achievement is at an all-time high in Ohio. State and national test results show that Ohio’s standards-based educational system is working. By aligning what’s expected of our students with what is taught and tested, we can measure whether our students are truly prepared for college, careers and life.

Ohio’s economic development begins in our elementary, middle and high school classrooms. We must have high expectations for our schools and for each individual student. I encourage all Ohio business leaders to become involved in your local schools to ensure that our students meet the high expectations required to be successful in our global economy. Together, we can improve our economy and the quality of life for all Ohioans.

Editor’s note: Ohio’s academic content standards can be accessed by visiting www.ofbf.org. Click on featured links.