Written communication and oral communication are inextricably linked as essential life skills and as desirable educational outcomes. However, there is a clear disconnect between what Alabama colleges expect of their graduates and what they are providing them in terms of oral communication education. The steps taken to develop the general studies…

Teachers present their perceptions when designing and mapping curriculum to implement standards-based instruction and assessment. It appears that teachers are willing but not always able to make curriculum and instructional decisions. Participation of teachers varies from district to district. When curriculum is given to teachers as part of their…

Existing research in global and social studies education has focused on methods, tools, and instruments to impart dispositions and skills for global learning, with little research pertaining to key global content knowledge. In this manuscript, the authors consider the use of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a prospective global…

The goal of this study was to examine the professional development experiences of two contrastive participants while they were creating standards-based individualized education plan (IEP) goals using a virtual world called TeacherSim. Two specific focuses of the study were on how special educators engaged with the task of creating standards-based…

In a small suburban district in the Midwest, the superintendent was outlining his plans for aligning the curriculum to the Common Core State Standards. The process had begun, he explained, so he and his staff were set to spend the next three years on math, then three years on English language arts and so on. The author struggled with the concept…

What is meant by the term "standards"? This article will use the definition of the National Academy of Sciences for their workshop on Assessing the Role of K-12 Academic Standards, "generally used to refer to both content standards, which describe material that students should be expected to learn, and performance standards, which…

The curriculum policies for students with special needs across Australia have been reviewed. The Curriculum Framework in the Australian Capital Territory is used to inform their school based curriculum. The Northern Territory Curriculum Framework describes what learners are expected to achieve and what learners have achieved. The New South Wales…

The Common Core State Standards, released in June 2010, offer an opportunity to shift education away from shallow, test-prep instruction and toward a focus on key cognitive skills, writes Conley. Two consortia of states are now developing common assessments to measure these standards--assessments that will be designed to capture deeper, more…

The Science Learning Assessment (SLA) is an individually administered, instructionally sensitive science assessment for kindergarten students. The SLA is a 24-item objective test, broken down into two subtests. The Scientific Inquiry Processes subtest consists of 9 items designed to measure young children's functional understanding of the nature…

Since the American Revolution free public education has been a discussion of political debate. The purpose that such an institution should play in society is a debate fervently argued when the founding fathers wanted to build a republic based on meritocracy. The problem this study addresses is the undefined relationship between the goals of…

This document is a decision-making tool on the instructional process in Mississippi. It attempts to standardize curriculum content by identifying core skills that must be included in subject areas in kindergarten through grade 12. Subjects covered are reading, English/language arts, mathematics, art, computer education, foreign languages, health…

This Pennsylvania Comprehensive Mathematics Plan (PCMP) was designed for the State Department of Education to chart the direction for mathematics education in the upcoming decade. Sections in this report cover: (1) the goals of PCMP, (2) the PCMP and instructional objectives, (3) the curriculum, (4) teachers' professional growth, (5) learning…

This first edition curriculum guide is one of a series intended to serve as models to aid Alaskan school districts as they develop and review their own curriculum documents. Each guide lists topics/concepts or skills, learning outcomes, and sample learning objectives in three columns. The kindergarten guide is organized around various aspects of…

Phase III of a five-phase project which has implications for the improvement of instructional programs in Mississippi's elementary and secondary schools is described. In phase III, specifically stated objectives or competencies in physical education, designed to accomplish the objectives stated in phase II, are cataloged. The competencies are…

Virginia's statewide objectives for foreign language learning, part of a larger program of learning objectives for all basic subjects and all levels of elementary and secondary education, are presented. The program is aimed at developing language proficiency, with goals and objectives designed to serve the general statewide needs for communicating…