In 2000, the state of Nebraska passed legislation requiring the assessment of student performance on content standards, but its requirements were very different from those of any other state. Nebraska created what has come to be known as STARS (School-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System). Under STARS, each of Nebraska's nearly 500 school districts is required to develop a local assessment system to measure student performance on standards. Despite being pressured to adopt a statewide test--and raising eyebrows for not doing so--Nebraska continues to believe in the superiority of local assessments and, as the authors report, that belief has been vindicated by several years' worth of data showing improved student performance. (Contains 2 tables and 11 endnotes.)