Release of the report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools in March 2018 led the Australian Government to develop a National School Reform Agreement, including bilateral agreements established with the states and territories. The purpose of this article was to compare emerging state-level curriculum reforms with…

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of environmental education, addressing the range of socioscientific issues included under the umbrella of sustainability can be challenging for educators working within the context of mandated state subject area standards. Two states (Washington and Vermont) have been recognized as leaders in incorporating…

The current focus across the U.S. on student college and career readiness standards makes clear that both instruction and assessment of academic English will continue to be important for school-age English learner (EL) students. This article presents an overview and summary of key literature on academic language (usually academic English);…

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare key elements of the actions that states in the USA and Australia took to implement the Common Core State Standards or Phase One of the Australian Curriculum, and what processes and products they used to facilitate implementation of these innovations. A rubric adapted from a diagnostic tool,…

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. The Foundation endeavors to improve the life options of all students, especially underserved urban youth of color by fundamentally redesigning…

This reports presents a detailed description of curriculum reform efforts in four states that exemplify particular approaches to developing curriculum. In California and South Carolina, curriculum standards are influenced most heavily by subject-matter professionals through a top-down process; the lay public is asked to review and make recommended…

The purpose of this report is to provide information to Tennessee EEs that may help them make decisions about whether to work with their assigned school to align curriculum and instruction with state standards or choose another strategy for helping the school to improve student academic performance. The report includes a description of the topics…

Recent research indicates that 48 of the 50 states have school curricula frameworks that contain one or more elements that call for some form of media literacy education. Such findings indicate that media literacy is slowly becoming an integral part of school curricula. However, full adoption of media literacy programs has yet to occur.…

A qualitative study was undertaken to create lesson plans that integrate science and social studies with the hope that teachers will expand them and incorporate them into their curricula. An instructional package of lesson plans that teachers can use to integrate the science and social studies curriculum was devised. The "Mississippi State…

Research on educational standards and school discipline shows that curriculum reform may also improve discipline by engaging students in a challenging environment. The widespread decline in high school standards seems to have come from diluting both the high school and college liberal arts curricula of the past, with students abandoning careers in…

This report provides analysis and preliminary recommendations on a mandate that requires and contributes to the development of physical education components in Illinois public schools. The report is presented in sections dealing with: (1) five areas of analysis and sources of information; (2) legal requirements and statutory authority for…

The point of view of a state superintendent of schools on the subject of federal and state cooperation in developing school curriculum is presented. The following major issues are discussed: (1) educational scholars working cooperatively with school practitioners produce practical and workable curriculum; (2) states have the primary responsibility…

This report represents an effort to stimulate regional discussion and delineate issues of relevance for educators concerned with science education in the Pacific Northwest. It suggests topics of inquiry germane to the context of national initiatives and regional, state, and local challenges. Information is needed to understand "where we…

Restructuring the American education system has become perhaps the leading popular proposal for remedying what has been identified as the sorry state of the nation's schools. This term suggests a thorough, even radical, overhaul and redirection of the entire system. But the intent of these proposed strategies is the restructuring--not the…

This document summarizes research on curriculum renewal efforts in small rural schools in the Northwest. The Northwest region includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Curriculum renewal involves activities aimed at meeting state reform standards and educational improvement initiatives. An examination of accreditation standards…