This volume examines education-reform efforts in U.S. public schools. The report, which focuses on higher standards for student achievement, is based on two nation-wide studies: the Public School Teacher Survey on Education Reform and the Public School Survey on Education Reform. The survey included questions on teachers' understanding of higher…

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) have formed a committee to write a new edition of the "Information Power" guidelines and to investigate the information literacy needs of K-12 students over the next 20 years. The following nine information…

Designed to accompany the 1994 "Geography for Life: National Standards for Geography," this supplement aims to provide teachers of American Indian students with useful ideas for classroom geography instruction. To facilitate teacher use in conjunction with the national standards document itself, the supplement follows the same format,…

This American Indian economics supplement is based on the 1997 U.S. voluntary national content standards in economics. That national document is predicated on 20 "content standards" of student knowledge, each of which includes "benchmarks" for grades 4, 8, and 12. For each set of benchmarks, the national standards contain…

A fourth-grade teacher in a Spanish partial immersion program describes her search for and use of Latin American folk tales to enhance the curriculum and student learning. Excerpts from the teacher's journal over a period of a year, and covering the beginnings of two school years, reflect on her experiences and on student comprehension and…

Aimed at school board members, this publication discusses the critical importance of developing an accountability system for a school district. The first chapter advises board members to balance their spending and resource allocations between equity and effectiveness. The option of greater regulatory flexibility mandates greater board…

Design flaws in the curricula of some teacher education programs prevent prospective teachers from encountering empowering opportunities necessary to acquire alternative perspectives about planning for classroom instruction. This paper looks at ways to cope with the failure to recognize the importance of alternative perspectives by: (1) analyzing…

This book addresses policy and legal issues for colleges and universities interested in developing comprehensive programs to respond to academic integrity issues. It is divided into four sections. The first section defines academic dishonesty, provides a contemporary context for the issue, describes the scope of the problem, and considers reasons…

England's National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are statements of competence that are based on national standards for performance in employment. NVQs are organized into five levels of achievement and areas of competence as follows: introductory, trade, technical/craft and supervision, "incorporated" equivalent, and…

Jobs requiring mathematical skills are growing at double the rate of overall employment. Standards for Two-Year College and Lower Division Mathematics (STCLDM) are being developed to guide reform in introductory college mathematics. Efforts to develop the STCLDM began at an August 1991 planning session with the Mathematical Sciences Education…

The question of whether tests can be both curriculum-neutral and effective means of monitoring and motivating educational practice is discussed. Educational reform and testing are intimately linked, as tests are widely viewed as a means of educational improvement. Tests/assessments influence educator behavior by stimulating them to assure that…

This compilation of resolutions and positions of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) provides a collective representation of the current and past recommendations of the Senate for strengthening academic standards in California's community colleges. First, ASCCC resolutions are presented regarding academic standards,…

A study was conducted to examine patterns of persistence in student enrollments at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) prior to and after the imposition of new Standards of Academic Progress in 1978. Students who enrolled for 3 of 4 consecutive semesters during a 2-year period were considered persisters, while those who enrolled for only 1 or 2…

Colleges and universities are as vulnerable to change and public scrutiny as public schools. Many are experiencing hostile legislatures, meddling board members, loss of public confidence, reduced budgets, program changes, and alumni criticism. Colleges of education have responded to public scorn with massive program reforms; educational…

Designed to assist local school districts in New Jersey with resources which might improve elementary science programs, this guide presents science proficiencies for grades K through 6. These proficiencies are illustrated by skills and standards that reflect the broad array of science topics and can be used as benchmarks for the development of…