New York State Learning Standards, established by the Board of Regents, are descriptions of broad expectations of what students should know, understand and be able to do at each grade level in seven subject areas as they progress through grades K-12 in NYS schools. The Learning Standards are part of the statewide strategy for raising the level of student achievement. The strategy includes:

• Establishing standards in seven subject areas.
• Changing the State tests to assess student progress toward achieving these higher standards.
• Raising high school graduation requirements.
• Building the capacity of schools to help students achieve the standards.
• Ensuring high standards and support for teachers and administrators.
• Building partnerships to improve student achievement.
• Establishing the System of Accountability for Student Success (SASS) by which schools are held accountable for enabling their students to meet the State standards.
• Increasing school and district accountability through public reporting of student performance.

For more detailed information about the Learning Standards, visit the NYS Education website.

What are the Student Achievement Levels?

Student scores on the tests are converted to four achievement levels, from Level 1 indicating no proficiency to Level 4 indicating advanced proficiency.