Transforming fear into rigor, love, freedom, and joy: A new paradigm of standards-based reform

Abstract

In the liberatory spirit of Black scholars and honoring the pioneering work of motivation theorists dedicated to a democratic vision of education, this article calls for a new paradigm of standards-based reform. Specifically, we maintain that current standards largely reflect the interests of White, male elites and elevates the economic agenda above other important purposes of education. Moreover, we argue that the standards movement aims to motivate educators to improve the quality of teaching primarily through rewards or fear of public shaming—an approach that is unlikely to lead to a transformation of the system toward racial equity, lifelong learning, wellness, and citizenship. We call for a reframing of educational standards to also include outcomes that nurture and honor the whole human experience—a North Star rooted in the outcomes of rigor, love, freedom, and joy that can serve as a beacon for transforming education toward humanistic outcomes in a racially-divided world. This article is organized into three main sections. First, a historical review of standards-based reform movement is provided followed by an overview of the empirical research underlying the proposed North Star. Finally, we conclude with implications of this new paradigm for research, practice, and advocacy.