A number of states are considering policy proposals to update credential or degree requirements for early educators. Practitioners, policy experts, and researchers have expressed concern, however, that well-intentioned policies to raise educator qualifications without sufficient supports may have negative consequences for the adequacy; stability;…

When students first enroll in college, they are required to demonstrate readiness for college-level work. Course placement depends on standardized assessments, and students who do not attain a satisfactory score are typically assigned to developmental (e.g. remedial) education courses. The theory behind this approach has been that remedial…

This policy brief provides an overview of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), discusses policy considerations for adopting or adapting the new standards, and presents examples from states considering or implementing the NGSS. Changing academic standards is a complex process that requires significant investments of time, money, and human…

Study abroad programs have proven beneficial for both the international student as well as the domestic community and school population interacting with the student. In an effort to promote cultural awareness, intercultural communications as well as opportunities for future study abroad program success, universities must take care to provide…

This directory contains summaries of the experience in curriculum change of 26 consultants who work to transform the liberal arts curriculum through the incorporation of materials on women, along with the names, professional titles, and addresses of each. (DB)

This directory lists and describes projects at colleges and universities that are designed to integrate the work of feminist scholars into the higher education curriculum. The directory is designed to provide a support system among the coordinators of these programs by informing them of each other's existence and progress. The directory also is…

This study seeks to examine the manner and extent to which the United States' leading higher education institutions are adapting their undergraduate international studies and area studies degree programs to the realities of the post Cold War world. The study used data provided by a 1994 survey of nearly 800 undergraduate international and area…

The pace of global change and the increasing interdependence of people worldwide are the driving forces behind the need for a contemporary global education movement that reinterprets current knowledge to educate students to meet their responsibilities as citizens of an increasingly complex global society. Evaluations of U.S. 18-24-year-olds reveal…

This collection of essays presents a rationale for incorporating teaching about Japan in the K-12 curriculum. The volume provides practical examples and guidelines about how to achieve this goal. The essays are organized into three main categories--professional development, curriculum design and enhancement, and exchange. The essays include:…

This document is the report of a committee charged with two tasks: (1) to examine the state recommended sequence of study and the recommended textbooks for purposes of determining whether or not North Carolina's students were afforded adequate opportunities to study the roles of religion in shaping the human heritage in the United States and the…

A survey of 479 graduating seniors from three different high schools reveals the majority of the students were not adequately trained in study skills. Includes a copy of the survey questionnaire. (MD)

Reviews the role of history in the U.S. social studies curriculum. Explains that differing interpretations of history and the purposes of history have had a significant impact on the structure of the K-12 social studies curriculum. Argues that the time is ripe for historians and social studies educators to renew cooperative efforts. (CFR)

This paper argues that religion should be taught as a separate class in the public schools. Reasons for teaching religion include: (1) religious believes affect human behavior in strong observable ways; (2) churches abound in number throughout the United States; (3) different religions tend to teach a somewhat common core of values while values…

This handbook offers practical guidance from implemented programs for making the undergraduate curriculum more international in outlook and content. The handbook is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter, presidents of four colleges and universities describe how they encourage curricular change to internationalize their institutions. The…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…