Such narrowing of curriculum scope is one
shortcoming that can characterize a set of standards;
there can be other deficiencies, too. To be
most beneficial for children, standards need to be
not only comprehensive but also address what is
important for children to know and be able to do;
be aligned across developmental stages and age/
grade levels; and be consistent with how children
develop and learn. Unfortunately, many state stan
dards focus on superficial learning objectives, at
times underestimating young children’s competence
and at other times requiring understandings
and tasks that young children cannot really grasp
until they are older.30 There is also growing concern
that most assessments of children’s knowledge
are exclusively in English, thereby missing
important knowledge a child may have but cannot
express in English.31