The state of Texas requires that each district and campus write an annual improvement plan (Texas Education Code, n.d.b). Although this study was conducted in Texas concerning Texas districts and campuses, it would be reasonable to assume that most, if not all, of the other states in the U.S. have similar improvement planning processes. The…

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) play a distinct role in the United States' decentralized federal education system. Separate from national and state assessments, they offer an external, objective measure for the United States to assess student performance comparatively with other countries and over time. The US engagement in ILSAs…

School systems must be geared for intensive introspection and analysis if the confusion in educational planning is to be allayed. The Planning, Programing, Budgeting System provides an appropriate framework to approach basic research and policy analysis. (Author/JN)

Discusses plans and techniques on Omaha, Nebraska, school district developed for implementing distric wide educational goals. (JG)

Ambitious student-achievement targets turn up the heat, as winners of the $4 billion federal grant effort push to deliver. Winners of the $4 billion Race to the Top jackpot committed to grand goals in using the federal grants to raise student achievement, as measured by higher test scores, narrowed achievement gaps, and increased graduation and…

Although Chinese Taipei has adopted lifelong learning as an educational goal, adult literacy education programs have not been based on their tenets. Lifelong learning is a deliberate process that emphasizes the autonomy of learners and a breadth of learning throughout the life span. The two adult literacy programs in Chinese Taipei, Supplementary…

Governments frequently introduce education policy reforms to improve the educational outcomes of pupils. These often have simultaneous effects on pupils because they are implemented in the same schools and at the same time. In this paper, we evaluate the relative and multiple overlapping effects of two flagship British educational policies--the…

Fifteen reasons for the current negative status of the social studies as a curriculum in schools of the United States are provided. The 15 reasons include (1) lack of a well-planned, issue-centered, skill-oriented social studies curriculum program, (2) overdependence upon history and neglect of other social sciences, (3) lack of a minimum set of…

Assurance of Learning (AoL) practices can be implemented in a variety of ways, as long as they are geared toward business schools' missions and curricula. The authors first address the purpose of implementing AoL, and briefly evaluate the ongoing debate about the pros and cons of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business's policies…

"If we are really serious about equity in education, what will it take to achieve improvements?" This question became the focus of a project between the Canadian Education Association and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education to foster dialogue about equity and educational improvement. Although the two countries have…

The nation is in an era of policy reform aimed at improving the productivity and effectiveness of higher education. Major philanthropies and policy groups have converged around variations of the ambitious college completion goals announced by President Obama at the beginning of his administration. But at the same time, many state governments,…

A series of worksheets, evaluation forms, readings, and activities is presented to aid in the review, development, and improvement of the K-12 social studies program. The guide begins with a brief overview on program improvement, followed by methods for reviewing the present social studies program. Checksheets, charts, and outlines are provided…

This report examines the philosophy, policies, programs, methodologies, services, and organizational structures that relate to the education of students between 4 and 9 years of age. Sections of the report address: (1) the relation between development and learning; (2) school readiness; (3) early learning programs; and (4) partnerships among…

In January 1982 the Further Education Curriculum Review and Development Unit (FEU) published a discussion paper dealing with the issues involved in expanding and improving Great Britain's vocational training and educational system. Following its publication and dissemination of the paper, the FEU sent a letter asking the major further and higher…

Worldwide, innovation in education is highly perceived as an effectual approach to promote awareness for sustainability. International organizations interested in education, research and training support projects seeking modernization of Higher Education (HE) and put much emphasis on developing new curricula, teaching methods or materials to…