The State of Texas started an educational endeavour called the Texas Common Curriculum in 1987 which was structured to ascertain and require that all graduates from Texas institutions of higher learning, who received a baccalaureate degree from a public college or university, would be required to successfully finish the state's general education…

State policies to encourage elementary teachers to teach for understanding and thinking are more comprehensive in California than in any other state. Based on in-depth interviews with eight curriculum and policy experts and an analysis of over 100 documents, this report describes efforts being advanced across six policy fronts: (1) curriculum…

The Foundation Program Assessment and Improvement System for the state of Hawaii seeks to implement a comprehensive curriculum management system to improve instruction for students by facilitating learner assessment, curriculum review and analysis, and instructional improvements. This report describes the system and its two components, emphasizing…

A three-part evaluation plan is presented for the occupational clusters approach to career orientation project, which attempted to design and field-test a two-semester curriculum package for orienting junior high students to the world of work. Project effectiveness will be estimated at three points in its development. In the laboratory setting…

Three addresses from the Michigan School Testing Conference, "Curricular Accountability Through Testing" (Ted Ward); "The Role of State Testing in Curriculum Evaluation" (C. Philip Kearney); and "The Role of the Counselor in Curriculum Evaluation" (Mildred Peters) are included. (AG)

Describes goal/objectives, course content/materials, context/users/beneficiaries, and transferability of the Maine Studies Curriculum, a state-validated demonstration project taught as part of the regular school curriculum. Also describes project evaluation (pilot testing, interpretability of measures, credibility of evidence, evidence of impact…

The goals of the project were to strengthen the curriculum management capabilities of the Oklahoma Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center (CIMC); to expand its efforts toward curriculum management in career education through coordination of efforts in development, dissemination, and diffusion; and to maximize resources for curriculum…

An outcomes-based model was developed to evaluate vocational education programs in Illinois. The model, which evaluates programs based on six vital signs of program quality, uses a series of computer technology expert systems to give local personnel assistance in exploring program problems and improvement. (SLD)

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…

Compares eight states on their inservice teacher training programs, changes in the science curricula (including instruction requirements, skill lists, and/or syllabi development), curriculum evaluation, budget-program/personnel commitments, and resources for assistance. These states include Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon,…

Discusses recommendations made by the Massachusetts Advisory Council of Vocational-Technical Education to improve the quality of secondary vocational curriculum. The author examines how and why the recommendations were created, how a hugh agenda was whittled down in scope, and how the council decided to favor the development of "cluster…

This is the third in a series of six monographs developed to help local educators use and report Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test results. These results provide reliable, objective information on the status of basic skills education useful in reviewing and revising the curriculum and instructional program. This review requires…

The Public Service Occupations Curriculum Project was designed to serve as a master curriculum resource for school districts in the implementation of a career education program in public service occupations. The project produced comprehensive curriculum materials for grades 7-12 and adult education which can be adapted by local school districts to…

Seeking to describe the current conditions of U.S. arts education, this document contains information collected and compiled from state education agencies. In 1984, the National Executive Board of Music Educators National Conference (MENC) adopted three goals which stated that by 1990: (1) every student in grades K-12 would have access to music…