International research shows that the curricula of Catholic secondary schools are increasingly becoming dominated by the pressures of conforming to the requirements of nation states. These requirements are generally expressed in economic and utilitarian terms and evaluated by criteria of measurable outputs. As a result of these pressures, Catholic…

In this historical study, the author argues that the impact of the 1916 Committee on Social Studies report on the disciplinary integrity of the U.S. history curriculum in secondary schools has been greatly exaggerated. Although the history curriculum was refashioned during the 1920s and 1930s as a result of the 1916 report, many of these changes…

This study outlines the perceptions of school leaders regarding the New Senior Secondary Curriculum in Hong Kong. It illustrates the diversity of perceptions and responses of school leaders in terms of the purposes of the reforms, challenges to be faced, and strategies for implementing the reform. The findings suggest that school leaders'…

The launch of "Sputnik" in 1957 sparked a crisis in American education. Suddenly threatened by superior Soviet technology, progressive educators' concern for children's preferences, health, and adjustment in school yielded to public demands for more basic learning and academic skills. Congress soon passed the National Defense Education Act,…

The Australian higher education sector has grappled, with little success, to increase the participation of students from lower socio‐economic status (SES) backgrounds. In this article I identify the ways in which the secondary school curriculum contributes to this outcome, and how universities are complicit in this process. Using data…

There are many key players in a functional school-university partnership. The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the establishment of roles within a school-university partnership charged with creating educational reform. Specific details are provided about three key change agents (the Wizard, the Warrior, and the Wagoner) who…

This commentary invites Americans to confront what these authors view as the travesty that typically passes for literacy instruction for older youth in the United States who struggle with reading. In too many U.S. schools, these young people face an impoverished curriculum, receiving literacy instruction that is ill suited to their needs, or…

The response of the Music Educators National Conference to national task force reports includes support for efforts to improve educational quality and raise standards for college admission. This essay prescribes comprehensive arts instruction for college preparatory students by lengthening the school day if necessary to accommodate art courses.…

The president of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance responds to national task force reports with some arguments for the importance of health and physical education courses, generally considering them complementary to academic learning. (MJL)

In this paper, the author argues that the pre-service secondary teacher education "paradigm shift" or "system overhaul" that has been implemented during the 2003-2005 time period in Ethiopia reflects the pursuit of pathways which the author refers to as a managerial approach. Grounded mainly on personal narratives of a key…

It is not that schools are not what they used to be; too many are, while everything else has changed. For public high schools to achieve their new mission, a carefully designed plan for transforming the existing system must address issues of content, rigor, access, and evidence. (SK)

Holt presents counterevidence about what U.S. high schools do successfully and suggest where reforms should really be implemented. Morris reviews recent reform efforts, concluding that meaningful reform should address real-life issues, be integrated, and address development of the inner self. (SK)

The sixth technological revolution, electronic communications, challenges educators with the rapid pace of change, possible displacement of teachers, and the dangers of misapplication. Advantages include more active involvement of students in the learning process, flexibility, and variety. (SK)

Discusses the history of seven reform proposals made since 1959 regarding reducing the degree of specialization in upper-secondary education in England and Wales. Analyzes the reasons for their failure, finding that lack of any control (central or local) of curriculum has inhibited efforts to determine actual school happenings and has made…

Describes how Ernest Hartwell's efforts to establish junior high schools in Buffalo with broad curricula failed, largely because the city's would-be political reformers did not accept the importance of educational reform. (CMG)