This chapter describes in a comprehensive fashion the many ways in which FL teachers can be agents of change in their implementation of the Standards. The chapter begins with a discussion of the Standards and their implications for the roles and tasks of the teacher. The author then describes an overview of the status of FL education at the time of the publication and then provides an idea of how far the profession has yet to go. The author then describes in detail the case of the FL in New York State. The author claims that teachers and administrators in NY have been promoting proficiency-based language instruction for all students for over 10 years prior to the creation of the National Standards. The author describes the research on the NY model and suggests recommendations for others who expect to follow the course set by the Standards.#All #All5Cs #Teachers and teaching #Curriculum #TheoriesandMethods #Principalfocus #All #ClassroomExamples #Teachers and teaching #BookSection