Issues concerning performance expectations in American education are summarized in a staff report of a panel of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. Discussion topics included: who is responsible for stating expectations for student learning; whether expectations for the American educational system differ significantly from those of other advanced industrial democracies; and the impact of clarifying expectations on student performance and the behavior of schools/colleges. The panelists included employers from the public and private sectors; college faculty and members of learned societies representing the disciplines of biology, history, and foreign languages; state agency officials responsible for the oversight of requirements for diplomas; and representatives of national independent educational organizations. Findings/themes included the following: expectations are a combination of objectives and standards; employers' expectations for postsecondary graduates entering white collar jobs reflect a desire for generalists, not specialists; there is considerable repetition in American education; and there is a national curriculum, with local and regional variations, that is reinforced by expectations implicit in the College Board Achievement Tests. (SW)