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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

New Hampshire leans on national frameworks and lets local districts handle the details. Reading, writing, and math run on the Common Core. Science follows the Next Generation Science Standards. The state then layers in its own guidance for the arts, world languages, computer science, and career and technical work, most of it aligned to national professional standards rather than written from scratch.

  • New Hampshire Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)
  • New Hampshire Department of Education — CTE / Career Ready Practices
  • New Hampshire Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)
  • New Hampshire Department of Education — Health Education (NHES-aligned)
  • New Hampshire Department of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)
  • New Hampshire Department of Education — SEL (CASEL-aligned)
  • New Hampshire Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)
Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
What students learn
Reading and math follow the Common Core from kindergarten through high school. By eighth grade, students are reading longer passages, citing lines back to make a point, and working with ratios, expressions, and early algebra. Science is taught the NGSS way, with students running investigations and explaining how a system works rather than memorizing facts. The arts, world languages, and physical education sit on national professional frameworks.
How students are measured
The spring NHSAS is the main state test. Students in grades three through eight take it in reading and math, and grades five, eight, and eleven take the science section. Every eleventh grader sits the SAT School Day, paid for by the state, which doubles as the high school accountability test. A sample of fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders also take the NAEP every couple of years for national comparisons.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
English Language Arts
New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
2010View
Mathematics
New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
2010View
Science
New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
2016View
Social Studies
New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
2006View
Computer Science & Digital Fluency
New Hampshire Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)K-12 CS Framework-aligned
2016View
Arts: Visual Arts
New Hampshire Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Dance
New Hampshire Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Media Arts
New Hampshire Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Music
New Hampshire Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Theatre
New Hampshire Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
World Languages
New Hampshire Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)ACTFL-aligned
2015View
Physical Education
New Hampshire Department of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)SHAPE-aligned
2024View
Health Education
New Hampshire Department of Education — Health Education (NHES-aligned)NHES-aligned
2022View
Career Development & Occupational Studies
New Hampshire Department of Education — CTE / Career Ready PracticesCCTC-aligned
2012View
Social Emotional Learning
New Hampshire Department of Education — SEL (CASEL-aligned)CASEL-aligned
2020View
Assessments
The tests students take across K-12, grouped by purpose.

Other

Tests that do not fit the buckets above.

State Summative

NHSAS: ELA/Literacy (Grades 3-8)

New Hampshire's spring summative test in reading and writing for grades 3 through 8, aligned to New Hampshire's College and Career Ready Standards for ELA.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

NHSAS: Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

New Hampshire's spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, aligned to New Hampshire's College and Career Ready Standards for Math.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

NHSAS: Science (Grade 5)

Science assessment in grade 5, aligned to NH's NGSS-based science standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

NHSAS: Science (Grade 8)

Science assessment in grade 8, aligned to NH's NGSS-based science standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

NHSAS: Science (Grade 11)

Science assessment in grade 11, aligned to NH's NGSS-based science standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National College Readiness

SAT School Day

New Hampshire administers the SAT School Day to all 11th-grade students free of charge as part of the state's accountability system.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Subjects covered
15
Grade levels
14
Standards on file
1,868
Assessments tracked
7
Most recent adoption
2024
Common questions
  • What test do students take in the spring?

    Students in grades 3 through 8 take the NHSAS in reading, writing, and math. Science is tested in grades 5, 8, and 11. Eleventh graders also take the SAT School Day for free as part of the state's accountability system.

  • Does this state use Common Core?

    Reading, writing, and math standards were adopted from the Common Core in 2010 and have been kept under the state's College and Career Ready label since. Science follows the Next Generation Science Standards, adopted in 2016.

  • What subjects beyond reading, writing, and math have official standards?

    Science, social studies, computer science, the arts, world languages, physical education, health, career and technical education, and social emotional learning all have standards. The arts cover visual art, dance, media arts, music, and theatre.

  • How often do the standards change?

    Most subjects sit on a long cycle. Reading, writing, and math have held since 2010, science since 2016, and social studies since 2006. Newer additions like health and physical education were refreshed in the last few years.

  • Where can students see what they are supposed to learn this year?

    Pick a subject and grade on this page to see the actual standards. Each one describes a skill students should be able to show by the end of the year.

Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.

Frameworks

Assessments