Pumped. Motivated. And ready to succeed!

It's the dream of every parent: a bright and healthy child. It's the hope for every student: a good, solid education. And making sure that your child's school has challenging academic standards is one of the best ways to get him or her in academic shape for the future.

What are academic standards? Academic standards define the basic skills that your child should have, and the things he or she should know in each subject, at each grade level. Raising academic standards will help your child succeed in today's increasingly competitive world. For instance, in a school system that has clearly defined academic standards, parents, students and teachers would know that by the end of fourth grade a student is expected to add and subtract with fractions, give accurate directions and explain what led to the founding of the American Colonies.

Often in the past, academic standards were not clearly defined. So as a parent, it may have been difficult for you to know if your child was learning what he or she needed to know in each subject.

Today, more than ever, your active involvement in your child's education is important. By making sure the academic standards at your child's school are challenging enough, you help better prepare your child for an academically fit future. If you find academic standards are not clearly defined or are too low, urge your state or school district to better define or to raise them.

In classrooms across America, academic standards are being raised. This means that for students, parents and teachers, the greatest workout of a lifetime has begun: getting a child's mind in top academic shape.

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