Thoughtfully constructed standards provide valuable direction for curriculum and instruction. But to bring about significant improvement in education, standards must be linked to students' learning experiences and to classroom assessments. The author describes the table of specifications, a planning tool for analyze standards for instruction and assessment. This tool serves two important functions: it adds precision and clarity to teaching by helping teachers break down standards into essential components; and it serves as a guide for consistency among standards, the steps needed to help students attain them, and procedures for checking on students' progress. (Contains 2 figures.)