▁United ▁States ▁ ▁A ▁standards - based ▁test ▁is ▁an ▁assess ment ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁outcome - based ▁education ▁or ▁performance - based ▁education ▁philosophy . ▁ ▁Ass ess ment ▁is ▁a ▁key ▁part ▁of ▁ ▁the ▁standards ▁reform ▁movement . ▁The ▁first ▁part ▁is ▁to ▁set ▁new , ▁higher ▁standards ▁to ▁be ▁expected ▁of ▁every ▁student . ▁Then ▁the ▁curr icul um ▁must ▁be ▁aligned ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁standards . ▁Finally , ▁the ▁student ▁must ▁be ▁ass essed ▁if ▁they ▁meet ▁these ▁standards ▁of ▁what ▁every ▁student ▁" must ▁know ▁and ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁do ". ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁di pl oma ▁which ▁is ▁given ▁on ▁passing ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁gradu ation ▁exam ination ▁or ▁Cert ificate ▁of ▁Initial ▁Master y ▁is ▁awarded ▁only ▁when ▁these ▁standards ▁are ▁achieved . ▁It ▁is ▁fully ▁expected ▁that ▁every ▁child ▁will ▁become ▁prof ic ient ▁in ▁all ▁areas ▁of ▁academic ▁skills ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁a ▁period , ▁typically ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁but ▁sometimes ▁longer , ▁after ▁the ▁passing ▁of ▁education ▁reform ▁bill ▁by ▁a ▁state ▁legisl ature . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁federal ▁government , ▁under ▁No ▁Child ▁Left ▁Be hind ▁can ▁further ▁require ▁that ▁all ▁schools ▁must ▁demonstrate ▁improvement ▁among ▁all ▁students , ▁even ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁already ▁all ▁over ▁prof ic ient . ▁ ▁Hol istic ▁grad ing ▁R ather ▁than ▁using ▁computers ▁to ▁log ▁responses ▁to ▁multiple ▁choice ▁tests , ▁rub rics ▁for ▁ ▁state ▁assess ments ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁North