There is an urgent need for global citizens to develop sustainable development competencies (SDCs) if our world is to survive threats to its development and sustainability. These competencies can be developed through education for sustainable development (ESD). However, implementing ESD is challenged by teachers' and students' prioritisation of…

Saint Edmond's Academy is a small, independent, Catholic school in Wilmington, Delaware. Students in Grades 4 to 7 are falling below their peers in other independent schools on standardized tests in mathematics, specifically the Educational Advisory Company Comprehensive Testing Program assessment. Within the scope of this work, my goal was to…

Outlines the problems England and Wales are facing with primary- and secondary-level standardized testing, in particular, whether brighter students should be given a more difficult test, and whether current English curriculum prepares students adequately for it. (JC)

Fear of poor teaching and low national test scores have spawned a back to basics movement and a shift from the use of tests as predictors and models to that of assessment and achievement. This movement may have positive impact on the teaching of English, which previously has not lent itself well to standardized testing. Although many English…

Discussions of "test curriculum overlap" that focus on the term "mismatch" tend to be based on several untenable premises. This paper addresses the issue of the degree to which standardized tests should reflect the specific content of a given school curriculum with regard to three points: (1) The idea of matching the content of…

This study was an attempt to examine certain variables which apply to test-wiseness factors in assessing preschool and primary grade children. The study identified specific abilities which appear to be prerequisite for taking standardized tests, and to design curricular materials to facilitate the development of these abilities. It was found that…

A method for curriculum evaluation that utilizes content and student performance analyses of both an external certifying exam and curriculum components is reported. Findings demonstrate that a multidisciplinary grouping of courses can satisfactorily cover content deemed important by external judges and by internal course directors and instructors.…

The University of Washington (UW) investigated the use of three general examinations of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) to increase flexibility in curricular arrangements, to assess the impact of curriculum upon student learning, and to formulate upper-division matriculation standards. Tests were administered to a sample of 333…

This report examines whether a high school curriculum organized around the five "new basics" suggested by the National Commission on Excellence in Education is likely to enhance student achievement. Data from the ETS Growth Study reveals that completion of the core curriculum has sizable effects on senior-year test performance, even when…

This study reviewed the context of and activities involved in state-level evaluation of elementary/secondary art education in Minnesota. Four main areas reviewed include: (1) legislation impacting all state-level assessment decisions; (2) curriculum development initiatives as they relate to assessment; (3) a specific state-level assessment…

To help teachers in comparing the content of their instruction with the content of standardized tests, a taxonomy of elementary school mathematics was developed. The taxonomy consisted of matrix with three dimensions; (1) mode of presentation (how questions are asked); (2) nature of material (type of numbers or mathematical terms); and (3)…

Program development and evaluation procedures involving faculty, students, and community in a continuous curriculum development project are given in this second-year report of the Fairfield, Indiana, community schools. The report is divided into 6 sections: (1) the process of developing conceptually designed curricula, (2) the processes of the…

A curriculum is a repertoire of learning experiences, planned and organized according to the program's educational goals. The curriculum development process of early childhood education differs in many ways from that of other levels of education. Intended for curriculum planners, education policy-makers and other early childhood education…

Several underlying curriculum variables influencing the course of study as it is implemented in the inner city, such as class size and personnel policies, are examined in this investigation, which seeks to determine the relationship between the curriculum variables and standardized academic tests on black and immigrant children in Montreal.…