By setting academic standards, America takes its first critical step toward providing a plan that will create an excellent educational system for the 21st century. It is important for those working on standards and those educating students with disabilities to work together as standards are being developed. Four kinds of standards need to be understood in order to address ways of including students with disabilities. These include content standards, performance standards, opportunity-to-learn standards, and assessment standards. Issues in setting appropriate standards for all students include: (1) educators will focus only on teaching the standards; (2) consensus cannot be reached on what the standards should be; and (3) it is unfair to hold everyone to the same standards because some students start way ahead of others. Criteria are listed that indicate what should be included in standards that are developed by states applying for funds to support education reform through the Goals 2000 Educate America Act. Three approaches designed to include students with disabilities in later phases of standards-related reform are described, with the merits and limitations of each. These approaches include individualized education program-based standards, standards for group gains, and separate standards. Policy and practice recommendations are then offered for content standards and performance standards. (JDD)