The leadership of Qatar has a social and political vision that calls for improving the outcomes of the Qatari K-12 education system. With this vision in mind, the leadership asked RAND to examine Qatar's K-12 education system, to recommend options for building a world-class system, and, subsequently, to develop the chosen option and support its…

The Upside Down Tree Design (UDT) shows how teachers can use curriculum planning to improve academic standards. UDT employs the "design down" approach, where the design of the curriculum is arranged down from the general to the specific, but the delivery of the curriculum is presented up from specific to the general. The text explores…

Canada's provincial programs of study are legal documents that state what students are expected to learn and expected to do in all subjects and grades. In Alberta, programs of study exist for elementary, junior high school, and senior high school students. These programs contain two types of information: a philosophy of learning, which includes…

Problem solving, decision making, and constructing knowledge are skills students need to become active and responsible citizens. However, many students are not receiving these essential skills from their education. Minority students in particular, despite improved academic performance, still perform well below national averages. Restructuring…

An examination is conducted of a 2-year case study of teacher, principal, and community involvement in curriculum planning in a school district. In particular, participants' expectations, satisfaction, and attitudes toward curriculum planning and the relationship of these variables to the resulting process and product are discussed. Relevant…

This publication focuses on promising new and emerging technologies and what they might mean to the future of K-12 schools. Half of the volume contains articles devoted in some way to "Vision," and articles in the other half are under the heading of "Leadership." Contents in the "Vision" section include:…

Discusses the change from a teacher-centered approach when computers were first used in the classroom to a learner-centered approach. Highlights each of six articles presented in this special issue that explore the issues related to using the computer as a tool to learning with, rather than to learn from. (AEF)

Discusses "backward design," a strategy for planning curriculum and school improvement by first thinking carefully about desired results and then working backward to develop meaningful assessments and learning plans. For this design to work, educators must identify desired results, analyze multiple sources of data, and determine appropriate action…

A paradigm shift has occurred in the learning-teaching process that includes new ways of pedagogical thinking, post-modern curricula, digital learning, changed social interactions, and linear and lateral thinking. These changes require reorganization of the educational system in general and distance education in particular. Changes in the system…

The United States is transitioning to an information age society, requiring that the citizens and workers of the future be highly literate in their use of information. Information literacy is the ability to evaluate, analyze, and apply critical thinking to the use of information. Educators need to answer basic questions about how students become…

"Trek 21: Educating Teachers as Agents of Technological Change," is a 3-year PT3 implementation grant from the United States Department of Education designed to build the capacity in teacher educators (teacher education faculty, professional development school faculty, pre-service interns) to integrate technology into their teaching. The goal of…

Describes the status of educational telecommunications networks operated and funded by state government agencies to support K-12 programs. Summaries of a 1993 survey and other recent studies are presented together with recommendations for network infrastructure, instruction, transport, funding, and evaluation development. (Contains 12 references.)…

The Singapore school system is moving cautiously to embrace new technology, especially in the area of classroom teaching and learning. The sustainability of the increased momentum of computer technology usage is critical for full integration of computer technology in classroom teaching and learning. A brief discussion of the implications for…

Teachers participating in technology training must move beyond training classrooms to apply teaching methods that facilitate technology integration in their classrooms. Most adoption literature comes from proponents of innovations and outcomes resulting from applications of innovations, but more case studies of teacher experiences in technology…

Once a school district decides to offer students virtual classes, it has to recognize the costs associated with the implementation, the logistical needs, the staff that will be needed to assist students, and the maintenance of the technology. Adapting the philosophy of virtual education is only the beginning. The role of the traditional teacher…