Ohio's Learning Standards and Resources
Identify what students should know and be able to do
Learning standards explain the knowledge and skills Ohio students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 need to have. Ohio’s Learning Standards emphasize skills like critical thinking and problem solving — qualities most sought by today’s employers. By teaching our students to apply these skills to what they are learning in school, we can make sure they are on track to graduate from high school and enjoy success in college, careers and life.
Ohio measures the performance of its schools based on how well students are progressing in gaining the knowledge and skills within the learning standards. We do this partly by measuring student performance on annual state tests based on the standards.
Learning Standards by Grade Level
Learning Standards by Content Area
Model Curricula
Give guidance to local educators as they teach with the standards and create related assessments.
Educators in local school districts choose their own curriculum. That means they plan the instruction and select the teaching techniques, textbooks and other materials for their students that will help them gain the knowledge and skills called for in Ohio’s Learning Standards.
For example, one English language arts standard calls for students to be able to read stories or books and then show understanding of key ideas and details. As students gain this ability, they learn how to make connections, draw comparisons and derive meaning from what they have read. As they develop their curricula, local school districts select which books their students will read to build these language arts skills.
Teams of teachers across the state helped develop model curricula and other related tools. State law does not mandate that school districts use these guides. But, by doing so, educators will find more in-depth descriptions explaining what the standards mean that will help them develop local curricula and instructional plans.