The concept of personalization in learning appeals to many K-12 teachers and students weary of regimented, one-size-fits-all instruction. The in-vogue term personalization is used to refer to many different learning strategies and structures--from personal learning plans to greater student voice. Differentiation expert Carol Ann Tomlinson is…

Head Start has long focused on assessing and improving program quality to ensure that the children served receive the best possible preparation for school and life. Most research has been focused inside the classroom--the classroom environment, teacher qualifications, and teacher interactions. Of course, the classroom is important because that is…

The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks," the result of collaborative work between the European Training Foundation (ETF), the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] and UIL [UNESCO Institute for…

Over the past decade, school districts and states have made impressive advances in collecting and managing data used for accountability purposes. By the year 2011, all 50 states will have systems to track students from year to year. But in most states and districts, all the data generated by these systems flows only one way: up. This paper…

This article describes how to implement the four-phase curriculum review model, a simplified process for renovating a high school health and physical education curriculum. Although this model was used at a large suburban high school, it could be adapted for use by smaller schools or other disciplines. The four phases of this model are: (1) needs…

All students, including students with disabilities, must be included in state accountability systems as required by law. In April 2007, federal regulations provided states the flexibility to offer another assessment option--an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) for some students with disabilities. The AA-MAS is…

Librarians at Washington State University Vancouver helped the campus develop a method of assessing its General Education Program, a program based on university learning goals, one of which is information literacy. The assessment method, which relies on an electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) along with rubrics to evaluate work in the ePortfolio,…

For a pilot program to succeed, administrators should take the following steps: state the program objectives; keep lines of communication open with school staff; broaden available resources; be clear about expected time demands; see that staff members know the availability and how to handle funds; and take time to review, assess, reflect, and…

A comparison of the Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) program with eight major goals for social studies identified in 1971 by the National Council for the Social Studies. USMES is weak in knowledge of a wider world, but is strong in real problem solving, cooperative efforts, and community involvement. (Author/AV)

Articulated reading programs are critical toward promoting reading attainment. What constitutes the program components to be articulated is an essential question for consideration in the attainment of that goal. Suggests the factors necessary to develop well-articulated reading programs. (Author/RK)

A draft of untested instruments and procedures for evaluating vocational/technical education programs, intended for discussion and use in field tests, is presented. The guidelines, criteria, and evaluation methods presented are divided into two major categories--institutional form and program form. Items within each category are grouped under the…

This report discusses and presents guidelines for the evaluation of specific educational offerings--i.e., courses, workshops, and seminars--in the field of scientific documentation and information retrieval. The topics covered in particular sections of the report are levels of evaluation, the nature and role of evaluation in education, approaches…

The central purpose of social studies education is the development of citizenship. In social studies education four elements are essential. The first element is knowledge. Social studies must draw heavily upon the social sciences, including history, and from related fields such as law, psychology, the humanities, journalism, and the arts. Young…

Regulations of the Florida State Board of Education require that each community college district board of trustees provide placement services and maintain followup studies. This document provides the guidelines for these activities. Each college shall designate an officer who shall be responsible for providing placement services and for…