Standards-based systems generally require students to meet the performance level specified in order to proceed or be certified. This issue of the Oregon School Study Council (OSSC) Bulletin surveys the types of standards currently being proposed. After an introductory chapter, chapter 2 describes eight components of standards, illustrated with a…

This paper describes the development of the National Skill Standards for Community Based Human Service Practitioners and reports on a survey of states' training and certification requirements. The standards are grouped into 12 broad competency areas: (1) participant empowerment; (2) communication; (3) assessment; (4) community and service…

This essay chronicles the move toward national standards in the content areas and examines the civics lessons to be learned from the debates. The paper notes the contradiction found in historically advocating local control and support of schools, moving toward the setting of national education goals and standards with little attention paid to…

Five authors representing diverse perspectives comment on the revised "Program Evaluation Standards" approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Standards are considered in light of their development; measurement issues; program evaluation; evaluation in the local education agency; and the context of evaluation…

This educational newsletter highlights a lead article, "Evidence-Based Research in Education." The article explains that evidence-based research emerged in the field of medicine over 50 years ago, resulting in major advances in the treatment and prevention of disease. It adds that clinical guidelines and protocols are based on the…

Students with disabilities have been excluded to an unreasonable extent from large-scale assessment programs at the national, state, and local levels. One implication of this exclusion practice is that students who are left out of assessments tend not to be considered during reform efforts. Another implication is that estimates of performance are…

Many states and school districts are making concerted efforts to boost student achievement in mathematics and science. This information brief is intended for those who seek to improve student learning by creating coherent systems of expectations and assessments in states and districts. Other potential audiences are those who study reform, make…

The first of two articles discusses national and international serials standards, including the International Standard Serial Number; the International Serials Data System and the International Standard Bibliographic Description for Serials; and emerging standards for serial holding statements. The status of serials cataloging in Sweden is…

Over the last decade, concern over the nation's global economic status and the role of public education in preparing workers has led to a push for standards reform. Two converging reform strategies have emerged: (1) to create a voluntary system of academic standards for K-12 students, and (2) to create a voluntary system of industry-skill…

This monograph presents findings from the Recognizing and Recording Reform in Mathematics Education (R3M) project, a study designed to assess the influence of, depth of knowledge about, and interpretation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) standards documents in several school and district sites. In R3M, a team of…

This focuses on movements to asses learning what is basic at various levels: movements to align curriculum to standards at all levels, and familial pressures to guarantee that children's mathematics education includes the mathematics of the future. This newsletter provides 15 articles on the above theme: (1) "What's Basic in Math Education: A…

In 1993 the Council for Basic Education assisted in the drafting of academic standards for the students of the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools. The results of this project, the Chicago Learning Outcomes, are now the official basis for designing new curricula, citywide assessments, and professional development throughout the district. The Chicago…

This document is comprised of the six issues in volume 16 of the Harvard Education Letter, a bimonthly newsletter addressing current issues in elementary and secondary education. Articles in this volume include the following: (1) January-February--"Grade Inflation: What's Really behind All Those A's?" (Birk) and "Every Friday was Fight Day"…

This essay explores the various definitions of "civitas" and how those definitions have valuable lessons for people. "Civitas" means both a political community or government, especially as found in a republic, and the kind of citizenship a republic requires. Specifically the paper examines the role of government in education…

Growing demands for accountability and useful measurement of educational outcomes have contributed to increasing efforts to develop or refine more valid and reliable methods of educational assessment. More states are designing high-quality indicator systems for evaluation at the school, district, and state levels. Seven recommendations derived…