Officials in Michigan are ready to unveil new grade-level teaching standards for reading, writing, and math and according to initial reports, they look good. In an effort to strengthen the basic skills of Wolverine State students, the standards will put a heavier emphasis on spelling, proper grammar, and math calculations performed in longhand instead of on calculators. Perhaps even more important, the new standards are more specific than the old ones which should reduce frustration on the part of Michigan teachers, many of who had complained that the older standards were unclear. The new standards have already garnered accolades from Achieve, Inc., which called the state's new English standards "among the best in the nation."