This document discusses educational reform and the implications of educational standards on students with disabilities. Topics addressed include: (1) common educational reforms; (2) new laws promoting education reform; (3) how today's reforms fit with special education; (4) the different types of standards, including content standards and performance standards; (5) standard-setting groups; and (6) issues that arise from setting standards, including how much content should be in the standards and how challenging is challenging. Issues specific to students with disabilities are highlighted, including whether students with individualized education programs (IEPs) should be exempt from meeting standards, whether there should be only one set of standards or different sets, and whether parents should be involved in making decisions about standards for students on IEPs. The merits and limitations of IEP-based standards and other different sets of standards are also identified. Recommendations are presented for enabling students with disabilities to gain maximum benefit from content and performance standards. The document closes with questions and issues that need to be addressed at the state and local level to ensure the inclusion of students with disabilities in educational reform efforts. (Contains 26 references.) (CR)