This book would not exist if we had not had the good fortune to work with educators in schools in Vermont and other states who are dedicated to using standards to improve the performance of their students. Our colleagues have asked questions, shared examples, and offered critiques as a critical part in shaping the model and processes we present here. In particular we thank teachers and administrators in Morrisville, Jericho, Danville, Williston, Charlotte, Shelburne, Hinesburg, Brandon, South Burlington, Cabot, Highgate, Swanton, Lyndonville, Proctor, Randolph, Bennington, Burlington, and Barre, Vermont; Newton and West Springfield, Massachusetts; and the Middle Grades Lighthouse Project, a statewide reform project in South Carolina.

Colleagues at the Vermont Department of Education and the Vermont Institute for Science, Mathematics, and Technology have stimulated our thinking about standards, assessment, and the design of standards-based units of study, especially Doug Walker, Peg Meyer, Sue Biggam, David Gibson, Elise Guyette, Nancy Ellis, and Karin Hess.

We appreciate the support of national organizations for Vermont's standards-based reform efforts, including that from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the New Standards Project, and the National Gardening Association.

Our work has also been helped by others who are struggling with similar questions, and so we thank Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Marge Sable, Michael Hibbard, Kass Hogan and members of the ASCD Consortium on Authentic Assessment.

The experience of working together—beginning with various perspectives, philosophies, and areas of expertise—has been rewarding and enriching. We have shared, argued, questioned, and informed one another while valuing and learning from the opportunity.

Finally, we thank Ron Brandt and Darcie Simpson of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development for their enthusiasm, encouragement, and support.