They're different things. Currently there's just about zero "accountability" for what the ed standards say must be taught.
However, to qualify for funding standardized tests have to be weighted very strongly in a lot of ways. Texas got a waiver for some aspects of its system--mostly because a lot of schools can't make AYP because of their changing demographics but also many of the remaining schools can't make AYP because the premise behind NCLB, that you can achieve 100% results, is simply asinine.
In return for the waiver Texas is being told that standardized test scores must be a significant part of how teachers are evaluated. We know there's a raft of factors more important than teachers. But we can't blame them because they're "not in our control". Mostly that means that "if we say what's really up, we'll lose elections--bond issues, school board seats, votes for the state legislature or executive, votes for the federal legislature or executive branch." In a democracy, supposedly the electorate has the power, and politicians and advocates that are all about "speaking truth to power" don't dare speak truth to that power.
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