In Chapter VIII of "Democracy and Education", Dewey objects to all three of the following propositions: (1) education serves predefined aims; (2) Education serves aims that are external to the process of education; and (3) Education serves aims that are imposed by authority. From the vantage point of policy-makers and authors of…

Previous papers in this issue of "JCS" have presented case studies of the state-based curriculum commissions that developed the "Illinois Learning Standards" of 1997 and Norway's "Laereplanverket 1997" ("L97") (1997). The studies were developed using as a framework a body of German research that sees…

This paper introduces the questions and approaches of a five-nation cross-cultural study of state-based curriculum-making discussed in this issue of "JCS." The paper reviews the two decade-long interest of many nations in state-based curriculum-making and presents a framework for thinking about state-based curriculum-making as a tool of…

In this article, literacy, which is conceived of as a set of cognitive skills, is juxtaposed with a sociocultural orientation that sees literacy as a set of social practices for the production of meaning. Cognitive, skills-based pedagogies treat literacy as universal, autonomous, and independent of context, whereas sociocultural literacy…

This report provides the historical background and interpretive analysis needed to understand controversies surrounding Common Core and its associated tests. In this report, Williamson M. Evers presents a revised and expanded version of his expert report for "Jindal v. United States Department of Education et al.," No. 14-CV- 534 (M.D.…

Recently, in Australia both the "National Review of School Music Education" and "The Australian Curriculum" identify the importance of technology in school music education. However, the understanding of music technology, as demonstrated by state and territory curricular guidelines, is limited with technology mostly recognised…

The overall aim of this article is to analyze the relationships between the roles of assessment in pedagogy, the interactions between curriculum assessment and pedagogy, and the study of pupils' progression in learning. It is argued that well-grounded evidence of pupils' progressions in learning is crucial to the work of teachers, so that a method…

The education reform movement has inspired an impressive array of school improvement programs. This article categorizes these intitiatives, summarizes policy directions, explores recent state curriculum guidelines and Northwest trends, and discusses implementation challenges. According to an Education Commission of the States study, most…

The authors of this article seek to deconstruct traditional thinking about education while introducing a postmodern view of curriculum development. "Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning," an exhaustive work by Dr. William Kritsonis, distinguished writer, lecturer, and editor provides curriculum leaders an important tool by which they may…

This practicum attempted to create a comprehensive developmental curriculum to be used in a non-categorical program serving developmentally delayed preschool-aged children. A second goal was to develop a parent education component that would provide parents with information and tools necessary to be active and competent partners in their child's…

Only in the last several years have state curriculum guides become prominent in education reform discourse and policy. This paper focuses on the organization and content of curriculum guides in four states regarded as leaders in education reform--Florida, Texas, California, and New York--in an effort to develop a way of comparing and contrasting…

Curriculum guides can have a positive effect only if they acknowledge the intentions of teachers and the context in which the curriculum will be taught. Those who write guidelines should be aware of four central questions, all of which address the communications gap between outsiders and practitioners: (1) What does it mean to say that a written…

Teaching critical thinking is difficult in elementary music instruction because of the limited time devoted to music; yet it must be considered a vital part of music instruction, as students must not only become knowledgeable about music, but should also learn to think intelligently about music. Recommendations for the content of elementary music…

A review of problems inherent in enhancing written guides for teachers is presented, focusing on the impact of different conceptions of educational practice and teaching. The goal of this review is to formulate theoretical perspectives and practical precepts for authors and readers of guides for educational practice and teaching. Conceptions and…

This document, an extensive revision of the original "Guidelines," was prepared by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)'s Commission on the Education of Teachers of Mathematics. It represents the current thought of the mathematics and mathematics education communities on the preparation of teachers of mathematics. Its developers…