Many states have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which emphasize "deeper learning" skills, such as mastery of core academic content, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. But can the new tests being developed to align with the CCSS be used to promote deeper learning and high-quality classroom instruction?…

The creation of the massive open online course (MOOC), a new form of digital learning, has enthralled some, infuriated others, and changed the conversation about higher education in the United States and abroad. To some, MOOCs herald the dawn of a new era in human capital, one that will mean the end of college as we know it. Enthusiastic observers…

The Hewlett Foundation commissioned RAND to review research about the effects of assessment and to summarize what is known about assessment as a lever for reform. To explore the likely influence of new assessments on teaching practice and the conditions that moderate that relationship, researchers conducted a series of literature reviews. The…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

Rural schools in Utah responded to state and local calls for school reform by implementing Outcome Based Education (OBE) programs beginning in March 1984. Significant improvements in learning have occurred as measured by test scores. Workshops introduced rural educators to OBE which provided a philosophical and operational framework for school…

This executive summary presents information on the design rationale, project coordination, and findings for the first year of the Technology Applications in Basic Skills project (TAES), which was administered by the Merrimack Education Center and designed to implement programs that use the computer and related technologies to increase student…

Education about national security has always been part of the social studies curriculum in U.S. high schools. But its focus has been simply chronological and episodic with major attention given to war, particularly the decision to enter it and the conduct of U.S. military forces. Little attention has been given to the evolution and structural…

Survey forms were sent to 6,000 school board members who subscribe to "The American School Board Journal" in an attempt to discover what reform efforts are being utilized and which ones are working best in schools. A total of 1,347 readers (22.5%) responded. Curricular and instructional reforms were cited by 91% of the respondents, and 70% said…

This document is a report on the Council of Europe's October 1990 conference on the subject of the arts in education. Aimed at those with interests in the education of students ranging from ages 11 to 18, the conference included administrators, inspectors, advisers, teachers, and practicing artists. Planners of the event sought to foster stronger…

Designed to help school administrators and board members promote instructional excellence, this publication reports survey results involving over 35 school districts in Northern California, Utah, and Nevada engaged in instructional improvement efforts. Specifically, the report describes alternative strategies used to organize and manage three…

The future of academic content reforms relies on the relationship between policies and the decisions of teachers. Because the agreement of teachers with district policies is congruent with teacher autonomy, the dichotomy of district control and teacher autonomy is invalid. Districts execute instructional leadership by providing teacher autonomy or…

During the 1982-83 school year, the Sheridan County School District implemented a 4-day school week alternative schedule. The alternative schedule was approved by the Wyoming State Board of Education on two conditions. First, the State Attorney General must affirm the State Board's right to permit alternative scheduling. Second, an outside…

Maintains that over 50 years ago the American Historical Association began to reshape history and social education. Asserts that only recently have professional historians begun to become reinvolved in history instruction in the schools. Describes the efforts to create National History Standards in both world and U.S. history. (CFR)

This Brief is the third in the Consortium for Policy Research in Education's (CPRE) series reporting on the policy implications of Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data. It summarizes results of recently completed research that explores in greater detail questions raised in initial analyses. Earlier analyses were based…

Maintains that the National History Standards are a collaboration among classroom teachers, scholars, and curriculum specialists. Discusses the process used to develop the history standards. Asserts that the most contentious issue was the treatment of western civilization in the presentation of historical criteria. (CFR)