To set a higher standard or increase the level of expectation, making something more challenging or demanding.
This phrase originates from track and field, specifically the high jump and pole vault events where athletes must clear a horizontal bar that is progressively raised to higher levels. The metaphorical use emerged in the 1960s as the concept of continually increasing standards became popular in business and education.
The athletic origin creates a perfect metaphor because raising the bar is both literal and incremental - just as Olympic records are broken by fractions of inches, real progress often comes from small but consistent increases in standards. The phrase also implies that once the bar is raised, there's no going back to the lower standard.
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