In 1999, the LegiSchool Project planned to conduct the 12th in its series of televised Town Hall Meetings to provide a forum in which California high school students, educators, and legislators can engage in face-to-face dialogue about problems of mutual interest. For 1999, the topic is standards and tests in California high schools. This guide contains background material, articles, and critical thinking questions to help participants prepare for the meeting. The introduction contains six newspaper articles related to standards and high school testing and poses four critical thinking questions. The second section, "Standards and Accountability," contains two state bills related to testing and six articles from newspapers, with five critical thinking questions. Section 3, "High School Graduation Examination," focuses on California's graduation requirements, with two excerpts from proposed legislation, six newspaper articles, and six critical thinking questions. Section 4 considers social promotion through one state bill, three newspaper articles, and four questions to stimulate critical thinking. Section 5 discusses "New Ways To Meet the Standards" through six newspaper articles and four critical thinking questions. An appendix contains brief descriptions of first extraordinary session bills for 1999-2000. (SLD)