Which option is a core consideration when formulating standards?

• A. How many assessments should we give?
• B. What is the school lunch schedule?
• C. Which classroom materials are available?
• D. What do we want students to know and be able to do?

Answer: (D)

Standards focus on defining learning outcomes: what students should know and be able to do. This makes them the best guide for designing instruction and assessments because everything teachers plan should move students toward those specific competencies. When you know the expected knowledge and skills, you can choose content, activities, and assessments that align with those targets and you can determine if students have truly mastered them. The other concerns—how many assessments to give, lunch schedules, or which materials are available—are important for planning and logistics, but they don’t establish the learning goals themselves. They support the process, yet the core purpose is identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to demonstrate.