In the past Montana has published benchmarks for grades 4, 8, and 12 in all subjects (Math, writing, computer, social studies, etc.). These benchmarks described the skills students were expected to have by the end of grades 4, 8, and 12, and Montana public school teachers had to align their lessons to these benchmarks. In early November, Montana adopted the Common Core Standards, which assign standards for each grade level in English/Language Arts and Math. All but 5 states have now adopted these standards. If you are interested in more information or would like to download a list of math and English standards for each grade, visit Math and English Standards
How will this affect homeschooling families? Many textbooks, curricula, and standardized tests are aligned with state and national standards. Having a list of theses standards will help families evaluate their curriculum (as far as the content lines up with standards) and give families an idea of what will be expected of students who take standardized tests. Montana is developing new assessment tools for public school students, so that by 2014-2015, the performance of MT students may be compared with that of other students across the nation in regard to the Common Core Standards.