The Iatrogenic Consequences of Standards-based Education.

The article examines the iatrogenic consequences of standards-based education in the U.S. Despite its pandemic acceptance, the standards-based solution has some negative side effects which include the following: propagation of a fixed curriculum; de-emphasis on individualization; subversion of the teacher; focus on measurable outcomes; and development of an expensive, expansive bureaucracy unrelated to instruction. For parents, standards offer an indication of the average achievement level of students in a particular school. For teachers who do not know their subject matter and have little instructional competence, standards offer a place to start.