Standards that define expectations for programs and the individuals participating in them have become an increasingly important element of early care and education systems. The use of standards to define how early care and education services should be delivered and the desired outcomes are a hallmark of quality improvement efforts. By setting requirements and expectations that, if met, result in high-quality early care and education programs, state-level policymakers aim to promote positive child outcomes. The increasing emphasis on standards, however, has implications for and is affected by governance structures within a state. This chapter illustrates that there has been greater pressure in the past decade for standards to be used across programs that fall under the auspices of different governance structures. Governance structures have, therefore, increasingly become salient in states' efforts to develop, implement, and monitor the use of standards. Following a brief explanation of the types of standards that are important in early care and education, this chapter discusses the relationships between governance structures and the use of standards in quality improvement efforts. (author abstact)