The first section of this paper on educational standards considers the nature of the school curriculum as the shaper and delimiter of what is demanded of students. Debates over the desirability of a common or core curriculum for secondary schools as opposed to different programs are discussed. Demands for traditional academic disciplines and for vocational education and the way in which the changing needs of the labor market shape the school curriculum are examined. In the second section, tests and examinations as instruments of standard-setting are discussed. A distinction is made between those tests which monitor achievement but do not motivate or guide study, and those for which schools prepare students and which influence both the content and achievement levels of each course. The nearly complete absence of European-style examinations in American schools is documented and its implications for educational standards considered. Comparison is made between the American approach to student assessment and that of France and England. Suggestions are made in the final section on ways of improving standards in the American schools. (JD)