The authors aim to identify characteristics of democratic schools. The Delphi technique used in this study is based on attaining a consensus among a group of experts over 3 rounds with 22 experts from 9 countries participating in the first round. By the end of the third round, 339 items referring to democratic school characteristics were…

As a growing body of evidence links school success and early mathematical experiences, there is increasing interest in offering young children opportunities to bridge their informal understanding of mathematics with more formal concepts and processes. At the same time, many teachers and caregivers in the early care and education (ECE) field may…

The purpose of this work is to present a comprehensive curricular approach that helps childhood educators empower students as developing thinkers who, by connecting with literature, build a deeper and more robust cultural understanding of themselves and others. Based on a formal content analysis, 44 picture books from and about the Middle East and…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate decision making in the Common Core State Standards Initiative as the change process moved from research, development and diffusion activities to adoption of the Common Core State Standards by the states. A decision-oriented evaluation model was used to describe the four stages of planning, structuring,…

Discusses difficulties of teaching thermodynamics at the secondary school level, including misconceptions about entropy, teachers' insufficient preparation, and the physical and mathematical nature of the subject. Concludes that thermodynamics has to be reserved for university teaching since it is a "non-pictorial theory" in physical science. (CC)

Describes arguments against teaching thermodynamics at the secondary school level as an argument against teaching it in a certain way. Concludes that an honest and simple presentation of thermodynamic ideas is possible after special steps have been taken to help teachers in understanding the subject. (CC)

Discussion of learning resources focuses on collection mapping to facilitate learning resource plans and application to learning standards and resources tied to curriculum needs. Presents sample learning resource profiles that include specific student performance objectives for selective knowledge content areas organized by school level. (LRW)

Argues that educational materials produced by corporations and industry associations tend to give a corporate view of environmental problems, often casting doubt on the scientific basis for environmental regulation and promoting superficial solutions that have minimal impact on their operations. Contains 30 references. (Author/DDR)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Report on Mathematics Achievement released on June 6, 1991 confronts educators' professional knowledge regarding mathematics education. In many instances it confirms much of what research has already described, and what many have feared, regarding mathematics education. This analysis provided…