This document is designed as a self-assessment tool for districts to gauge their progress in implementing college- and career-readiness standards. This tool was primarily designed to help central office leaders and staff assess implementation at a systems level. Each section provides a core set of leading questions, along with descriptions of what…

In the spring and fall of 2013, the Center on Education Policy (CEP) convened two meetings of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss ideas for a more relevant and coordinated research agenda on the Common Core State Standards. Participants in these meetings identified several needs and made a number of thoughtful suggestions. Many…

Science education standards are criteria by which to judge the quality of what students know and are able to do, of the science programs that provide the opportunity for students to learn science, of science teaching, of the system that supports science teachers and programs, and of assessment practices and policies. This document summarizes the…

Many community college faculty are concerned with academic standards at their institutions, in part because in the late 1960s and during the 1970s standards became associated, in the minds of many teachers and students, with personal rigidity rather than academic rigor. Faculty who wish to re-examine academic standards with their colleagues…

Presents a revision of the standards for social studies teacher preparation by the National Council for the Social Studies. Discusses the selection for and continuation in social studies teacher educations of promising teachers. Suggests that program requirements include general education, social studies skills including global and multicultural…

This report provides guidance and information on resources to assist elementary schools, parents, community members, and policymakers in implementing a systemic approach to standards-based education. It makes clear recommendations on how schools can achieve a coordinated system in which standards, assessment, accountability, and curriculum are…

Although all of public education prepares students for the responsibilities of citizenship, the goal of providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to assume their roles as leaders in the state of Texas and in the nation in the 21st century rests primarily with the social studies. This framework provides information that local…

South Carolina adopted grade-level content standards in 1997 and required curriculum assessment in 1999. A model for implementation of these requirements is presented that includes rationale, definitions, a planning activity chart, and 10 elements of planning and implementation. A case study illustrates how one rural school district with limited…

This report presents the results of a three-year educational partnership that supports a unique interdisciplinary team approach to professional development. The Sage Colleges collaborated with two school districts (City School District of Albany and Niskayuna Central School District) to enable educators to align content and standards; draw upon a…

This Teacher Quality Toolkit aims to support the continuum of teacher learning by providing tools that institutions of higher education, districts, and schools can use to improve both preservice and inservice teacher education. The toolkit incorporates McREL?s accumulated knowledge and experience related to teacher quality and standards-based…

This handbook, a companion to "Standards for Professional Development Schools," describes an assessment process for Professional Development School (PDS) participants, specifically for PDS standards, developed during 3 years of a field test. The assessment process is intended to support the continued development of PDS partnerships and…

This report presents 13 commentaries on issues related to intercollegiate athletics that were delivered to institutional chief executive officers every 2 weeks during the first half of 2002. The commentaries address: "Division I Academic Reform"; "The Gambling Threat"; "Amateurism: Re-Examination";…

This document aims to help teachers make the transition to standards-based teaching and learning. It describes the first phase of a 3-year applied research project on professional development for teaching to high standards in culturally and linguistically diverse middle schools. Standards-based teaching and learning requires teachers to reach a…

The purposes of this guide are to demonstrate how to apply the National Science Education Standards to the real world of the middle school classroom and to serve as a tool for collaboration among principals, state and local administrators, parents, and school board members. Different sections focus on science teaching standards, professional…

This booklet discusses the development of Professional Development Schools (PDSs), which are functioning public schools where school and university personnel collaborate to create exemplary learning environments capable of transforming both teacher preparation and pre-K-12 schooling. Benefits of PDSs include opportunities for school teachers and…