As standards documents have been introduced over the past 20 years, many states have seen an evolution in both the standards and related high stakes exams. For many teachers across the U.S., the rollout of standards and exams has not been an experience that builds trust in state education leaders. In this study, we consider three major changes in the first-year high school math exams in New York State since 2002, looking at consistency in item types, topics addressed, and student performance. Shifts in all were noted, but the changes in topics, especially when not obvious by the names given to standards, are suggested as the mostly likely to misinform or misguide teachers. We consider how state educational leaders are working to build trust for the next iteration of standards. While this study is particular to one state, the methods and findings should be of interest to others who study curriculum and testing in high schools. [For the complete proceedings, see ED630210.]