The new proposals could transform American education, replacing the patchwork of standards ranging from mediocre to world-class that have been written by local educators in every state. Under the proposed standards for English, for example, fifth graders would be expected to explain the differences between drama and prose, and to identify elements of drama like characters, dialogue and stage directions. Seventh graders would study, among other math concepts, proportional relationships, operations with rational numbers and solutions for linear equations. The new standards are likely to touch off a vast effort to rewrite textbooks, train teachers and produce appropriate tests, if a critical mass of states adopts them in coming months, as seems likely. But there could be opposition in some states, like Massachusetts, which already has high standards that advocates may want to keep. ‘I’d say this is one of the most important events of the last several years in American education, said Chester E. Finn Jr., a former assistant secretary of education who has been an advocate for national standards for nearly two decades. ‘Now we have the possibility that for the first time, states could come together around new standards and high school graduation requirements […]