The chancellor of the California community college system has begun a controversial effort to achieve higher academic standards through governance reform. (MSE)

Traces the development of environmental education in Scotland. Describes the interdisciplinary efforts that have taken place in both elementary and secondary schools since 1974, noting the integration of environmental topics and concepts into various subject areas. Urges Scottish schools to further infuse environmental education into the…

Reviews the status of minority students in California's educational system, pointing to high dropout rates, community college enrollment trends, and social factors. Highlights the correlation between educational performance and expectations, urging a well-orchestrated effort focusing on guidance, retention, and standards of excellence across all…

Agrees with the Carnegie report that schools must be rebuilt, rather than merely repaired. Describes the organizational structure and six common principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools; gives examples of working, experimental school programs; and describes several studies currently being prepared. Eleven footnotes are appended. (IW)

In today's information-age society, America must have more well-educated individuals to remain competitive as a world leader. The standardized testing movement is a sign of public mistrust of education and will result in denying opportunity to many students with the potential to succeed. (MLW)

The recommendations set forth in "Developing Character: Transmitting Knowledge," a recent statement signed by prominent scholars and educators, are reviewed here for principals. The statement focuses on the importance of education for character development. (Author)

This review of recent research on minimum competency testing requirements focuses on the impact of such requirements on school curricula and on the processes of selecting which competencies are to be tested, determining cutoff scores, and ensuring test validity and reliability. (JBM)

The purpose of this study was to examine the participation and performance of English language learners with disabilities on the 1999-2000 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. For the rest of this report we refer to these students by the term students with limited English proficiency (LEP) who also have disabilities (SLEPD) 1. We wanted to do this…

Shaw High School is one of two schools making up the Shaw School District. The school is located in an old and once majestic building whose large concrete pillars still stand at the entrance. A small white house across the street holds the district administrative office. Several buildings, detached from the main building, house the cafeteria,…

This document suggests 18 changes to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in four targeted areas. Regarding Assessment and Accountability, The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) supports: (1) Implementing an accountability system that gives credit for progress and/or proficiency; (2) Creating levels for making adequate yearly progress (AYP) that…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) has tested large and representative samples of students from around the world to measure their math and science knowledge and skills. The results place U.S. 8th grade students below the international average in mathematics, with 20 countries scoring significantly higher than the U.S.…

Looking collaboratively at student and teacher work is a process in which teachers primarily, but also administrators, parents, students, and members of the community, look at student and/or teacher work with the goal of improving student learning. To structure the process and create a safe, caring environment, teachers use a protocol to…

This premier issue of "The Equipped for the Future (EFF) Voice" has been put together to give everyone a snapshot of EFF-related activities across the country. It includes reports on the 12 states that have been participating in the EFF field development process since 1998, and on the many other programs and states that have begun…

Next to hiring the president, a board's most important responsibility is maintaining the integrity and health of its institution's academic program. The complex division of labor that separates the lines of administrative and academic authority on most campuses means that many conscientious trustees find themselves in a quandary. If they exercise…

This curriculum supplement, from The NIH Curriculum Supplement Series, brings cutting-edge medical science and basic research discoveries from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) into classrooms. It was designed to complement existing life science curricula at both the state and local levels and to be consistent with the National Science…