The objective of this study is to better understand the process by which K-12 school districts select curricula materials in four critical subject areas: Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, and History and Social Studies. This research has two primary goals: (1) to understand the process by which K-12 school districts select and adopt…

These proven, practical early childhood teaching strategies help teachers identify young gifted children, differentiate curriculum, assess and document students' development, and build partnerships with parents. Chapters focus on early identification, curriculum compacting, social studies, language arts, math and science, cluster grouping,…

The launch of "Sputnik" in 1957 sparked a crisis in American education. Suddenly threatened by superior Soviet technology, progressive educators' concern for children's preferences, health, and adjustment in school yielded to public demands for more basic learning and academic skills. Congress soon passed the National Defense Education Act,…

Communicative self-efficacy serves as an important link between discussing controversial issues and civic engagement because confidence in one's discourse skills is important to managing conflicting perspectives and developing solutions to community-based problems. Freely available to schools, "Word Generation" is a cross-content…

With a grant through Indiana University's Inner Asian & Uralic National Resource Center, the authors developed an online, five-week unit that discusses the cultural and ecological "worlds" of central Asia, specifically the countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. There are two main ideas…

In an effort to improve science and social studies instruction, preservice teachers developed original science, technology, and society units to teach in elementary and middle school classrooms during their clinical field experience. Data revealed that the preservice teachers fell into categories of being skeptics, open-minded instructors, or…

Educating for sustainable development (ESD) is generally found within existing disciplinary frameworks. In this paper, our intent is to compare the views and practices of environmental educators who pursue ESD from a perspective different from what is occurring in our own constituency. We collected data on curriculum, teaching perspectives and…

Instead of piling on one new reform fad after another, here at last is a book that boils down solutions for improved schools to the most powerful, simple actions and structures that ensure you prepare all students for college, careers, and citizenship. Best-selling ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) author and renowned…

This article presents four Idea-Sparkers that were submitted by Jason McKinney, a graduate student at Southern Mississippi University and a 1st-grade teacher at Pisgah Elementary in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. First is entitled, "Raceway in the Classroom." This activity can help increase children's fluency and ability to identify numerous…

Math Journey, a creative, mathematical trip centered around a theme, can be integrated into a school's existing science and social studies curriculum. A teacher would only need a copy of their school's curriculum to design his or her Math Journey. In this article, the author discusses several strategies on how to integrate Math Journey into…

Discusses "Project 2061," a reform initiative for science literacy. Explains that reform is needed in science education because developments in science and technology continually transform daily life. Suggests that taking an interdisciplinary approach to science will make the subject understandable to more people. Argues that curriculum…

The paper suggests various ways that energy education can be integrated into the curriculum and advocates an interdisciplinary approach to energy studies. Five approaches to energy education are discussed. One, the separate course approach, seems unlikely to come about given the static nature of the curriculum. Two, ignoring the topic, may occur…

This article presents case studies of middle school science and social studies teachers who used three different curricular cultures to teach units in their subject areas. The teachers participating in the study are aptly described as hard working and successful in terms of satisfactory performance of their students on state assessments over time…

A pragmatic approach to implementing a Canadian studies program in secondary U.S. schools is described. The approach offers two great strengths: financial practicality because it does not require purchasing curriculum materials and interdisciplinary involvement among social studies and science teachers and the school librarian. (RM)

This issue of the Center's "Systems Newsletter" will be the last one published under the aegis of Dr. JoyceVanTassel-Baska, the Center's founder and current Executive Director. As of this August Dr. VanTassel-Baska will officially retire from the College of William and Mary and the Center. She will still be an integral part of the Center…