Since at least the early 1960’s, educators and policymakers have been engaged in a recurring process of developing, revising, updating, and rewriting learning standards (earlier called instructional objectives or goals), whether at the local, state, or national level. What has been constant through more than a half century is that for the most part standards and assessment have been disconnected from each other. I maintain that this disconnect makes it difficult and unlikely that either standards or assessment will achieve the intended purpose of improving teaching and learning.