California policymakers have pursued various strategies for raising student achievement over the past half-century. The state's schools now advance demanding curricular standards which are among the most rigorous in the nation. These are in the form of "content" and "performance" standards. This paper, stemming from a Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) seminar, examines the idea of crafting "opportunity to learn (OTL) standards"--how the state might collect and analyze indicators of school quality that are predictive of student achievement. The idea is not new. Such standards were put forward by Congress over a decade ago. However, questions remain regarding which quality indicators can be feasibly monitored and which are empirically related to achievement gains. Developing, implementing, and monitoring such a system would be challenging. But, as the PACE seminar participants discussed, a well-designed OTL system would provide a tool in helping parents, the public, and policymakers know whether students are receiving the resources they need to succeed. (Contains 40 endnotes.)