Challenges regarding consistency were therefore part and parcel of the standards issue to begin with. Later, a movement was established to create more common standards. The historical ideal behind content standards is that they draw on relevant studies to determine and support the progressive development of conceptual understanding. In reality, however, there is only limited evidence to support the usefulness or even the need for standards.

Mathis (2010), for example, directly states that there is little evidence to support the notion that national academic standards in any way improve the quality of students produced by schools that follow these standards. According to the author, the focus on standards serve only to detract from other vital reforms faced by the school system today. Mathis holds that there are many influences beyond the purely academic that affect test scores. Quality and equity will only be addressed when these in-school and out-of-school concerns are addressed.

Proponents of common standards believe that these are necessary to produce students and professionals who can compete in the

However, the author believes that there is not sufficient research to support this. There are no studies whose outcomes, for example, indicate a direct correlation between standards-based education and an ability to perform well in an economically competitive marketplace. Most compelling, however, is evidence that nations who do have centralized standards as part of their curriculum fare no better at standardized tests than those who do not.
References

Committee on Standards for K-12 Engineering Education (2010). Standards for K-12 Engineering Education? The National Academic Press.

Jones, J. (n.d.). The Standards Movement -- Past and Present. Retrieved from: http://my.execpc.com/~presswis/stndmvt.html

Mathis, W.J. (2010, Jul. 21). "Common Core" School Standards Roll On Without Supporting Evidence. National Education Policy Center. Retrieved from: http://nepc.colorado.edu/newsletter/2010/07/common-core-school-standards-roll-without-supporting-evidence