The Wauwatosa School District academic standards are called benchmarks. Benchmarks are the essential skill and concept statements that guide the overall learning expected at a grade level and/or in a content area.  While benchmarks are informed by state and national documents, they are locally determined by Wauwatosa School District teachers in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Department. Benchmarks are designed to interact with the content being taught in such a way that students are able to transfer their learning across subjects and grade levels.  Learning content in the context of essential skills and concepts increases retention of content and provides a meaningful learning experience for students.