With the federal No Child Left Behind Act underscoring the wide variation in what states demand of their students, people on both sides of the political aisle are again making the case for national standards, curricula, and tests. It wasn't so long ago--during the Clinton and George H.W. Bush administrations--that similar proposals went down in flames. Is the idea any more feasible today? Some prominent scholars and education leaders say yes. Opinions are shared in this article.