K-12 Education Content Standards

North Dakota Content Standards serve as expectations for what students should know and be able to do for each grade span. The standards serve as goals for teaching and learning. In North Dakota, the content standards serve as a model. Each school district may set more rigorous standards; however, no district shall use any state content standards less rigorous than those set forth in the North Dakota Century Code 15.1-21.

Local school districts determine the curriculum (how standards are taught) they will adopt to meet the standards.

• Computer Science and Cybersecurity K-12 Standards - 2019
• Dance K-12 Standards - 2019
• Early Learning Standards - 2018
• English Language Arts/Literacy K-12 Standards - 2017
• Foreign Language Standards - 2001
• Health Education K-12 Standards - 2018
• Library and Technology K-12 Standards - 2012
• Mathematics K-12 Standards - 2017
• Media Arts K-12 Standards - 2019
• Music K-12 Standards - 2019
• Physical Education K-12 Standards - 2015
• Science K-12 Standards - 2019
• Social Studies K-12 Standards - 2019
• Theatre Arts K-12 Standards - 2019
• Visual Arts K-12 Standards - 2019

To access a machine readable version of the official North Dakota Content Standards, please visit the North Dakota CASE Server.  The CASE version of the standards can be uploaded to student information systems, curriculum mapping programs, and a variety of other uses.

To access the priority standards and proficiency scales developed by the North Dakota Regional Education Association, please visit NDREA.org. 

The North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education (NDCTE) also has content standards to assist in preparing students for entry into industry sectors for post-secondary education. The NDCTE develops these standards to ensure each program area offers courses that allow students to acquire essential knowledge and skills.

More information can be found on the NDCTE website.