Standards drive critical elements of the American educational system--the curricula that schools follow, the textbooks students read, and the tests they take. Similarly, standards establish the levels of performance that students, teachers and schools are expected to meet. To succeed in the 21st century, all students will need to perform to high…

Denies that the paradigm shift in composition pedagogy (process/product), apparent in the rhetoric of many journals, has become a widespread pedagogical reality. Gives first-hand accounts of teaching methods in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States showing that pedagogy continues to be product-oriented. (SR)