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Assessment becomes an integral part of operationalizing the standards rhetoric. It is sometimes argued that assessments drive the curriculum-what gets measured, gets taught (Leone, McLaughlin, & Meisel, 1992). If this premise is true, is it possible that some very important educational outcomes are being ignored? The answer is-yes and no. As exemplified by the opening quotation of this article, Washington officials do not want to stray from an intense focus on academics. Even when assessments of non-academic outcomes (e.g., health, workskills) are endorsed by the National Education Goals Panel, they will not be defmed as essential elements of any accountability or evaluation system (M. Orland, personal communication, December 2, 1993). This is because the Goals Panel leadership believes that national content and performance standards should address only those areas listed in Goal 3, academic goals.
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