"Something in Common" is the first book to provide a detailed look at the groundbreaking Common Core State Standards and their potential to transform American education. This book tells the story of the unfolding political drama around the making of the Common Core State Standards for math and English language arts, which were adopted by…

An introduction is provided to the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) Program at Valencia Community College (VCC), a 2-year general education core curriculum divided into four courses. A description of VCC is followed by an overview of the program, which integrates the arts, philosophy, religion, English, mathematics, social sciences, and physical…

The individual element of multicultural education needs to be recognized. The Association of American Colleges' national project, "Engaging Cultural Legacies: Shaping Core Curricula in the Humanities," helps colleges develop curriculum that challenge students to explore the humanities as reflected in their own social values, ideas, and…

The Miami University (Ohio) School of Interdisciplinary Studies has implemented a program of quantitative thinking across the curriculum. Four aspects of quantitative reasoning (learning from data, quantitative expression, evidence and assertions, and quantitative intuition) are developed in the core curriculum as a foundation for further…

The Head of Upper Nidderdale High School in North Yorkshire shows how a small 11-16 comprehensive can provide a common core curriculum and a choice of options that keeps career doors open. (Editor)

In the late 1970s, it became clear to a group of Kirkwood Community College (KCC) faculty and administrators that fewer and fewer students were taking humanities courses, that students' selection of courses was usually imbalanced, and that most had little idea of what the term "humanities" embraced. With a grant from the National…

A description is provided of the rationale for, objectives of, and unique and innovative features of St. Petersburg (Florida) Junior College's (SPJC's) Interdisciplinary Studies Program (IDS). First, the paper discusses the national context of renewed attention to the liberal arts, the higher education milieu in Florida, and SPJC's general…

Chronicles the process of reforming the liberal education program at Franklin Pierce College (New Hampshire), organized around the theme of the individual and community. Discusses objectives in integrating the "civic arts" into the core curriculum and challenges encountered in balancing "individual" and "community"…

A cross-disciplinary project at the University of South Alabama has been successful in improving the technical competence of undergraduate writers in all academic fields. For the geography department, this project has involved developing courses which teach writing as part of the thinking process and problem-solving method. While instructors have…

This handbook describes a model project that provided literacy instruction for parents of preschool and primary school children and suggests on-going activities for parents to do with children at home. It also provides suggestions for implementing a similar program in other locales. The section on recruitment offers suggestions and sample…

Proposed is a three course sequence for all college students designed to raise the level of undergraduate scientific literacy. The rationale, topics to be covered, and an outline of an earth-systems course are presented. Problems in the implementation of such a sequence are discussed. (CW)

Renne (Oregon) Intermediate School offers an innovative program of personalized instruction to students in grades 6-8. Teachers work closely with individual students, following a continuous progress curriculum which allows cross-grade-level placement in the core areas of math, reading, and language arts. Based on cooperative district planning, the…

Provides a rationale for integrating general education in vocational studies. Offers examples of institutions with such integrated programs, and suggests strategies for curricular change. (DMM)

Describes the implementation of a humanities-based curriculum for all ninth and tenth grade students at St. Michael's Academy (Austin, Texas). The ninth grade core is thematically organized, integrating the study of English and religion. The sophomore core integrates world history, world literature, and comparative religions. Describes sample…

The University of Texas at Arlington's Education Department has developed a series of supervised prestudent teaching experiences which allow the college student to observe and practice as a teacher aide at school-based sites. This article includes details on two of the school-based secondary certificate courses. (SJL)