Examines the power of performance assessment to influence learning and to effect change in the educational system. A vision of education in the near future is presented that addresses standards, the impact of constructivist psychology, administrative organization of education, student and program assessment, a community of learners model of…

Reviews approaches using computer-assisted instruction that may be effective strategies to use with at-risk students. Highlights include developing an Individual Educational Plan (IEP); criteria for selecting appropriate educational software; keeping parents informed; the use of multimedia; high standards and performance-based evaluation; and…

A discussion of the National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) pass-fail grading for Part I and Part II examinations gives background on procedures previously used for setting criterion-based grading standards, gives an overview of research on standard-setting, and outlines NBME plans for determining new standards and incorporating improvements.…

A survey of 834 teacher educators regarding ideal and actual practicability of each of the 18 new National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards. Subjects considered the standards workable guidelines for quality teacher preparation, ranked four of five NCATE categories as equally important, and recognized the need for…

Maintains that the world is nearing the end of a great age of democratic revolutions. Asserts that civic or citizenship education is in danger of being sidetracked by the national educational reform movement. Argues that "CIVITAS," a civic education curriculum framework, provides a model for effective citizenship education. (CFR)

Reviews the resources available for social studies teachers from the Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE): History Social Science World Wide Web site. Includes curriculum-aligned resources and lessons; standards and assessment information; interactive projects and field trips; teacher chat area; professional development…

Driftwood Public School, a K-5 school in Toronto (Canada) with high percentages of immigrant and limited-English-speaking students, has exceeded both provincial and district averages on tests in reading, writing, and math. Success followed an intensive schoolwide effort focusing on high expectations, collaboration within grade-teams of teachers,…

Analysis of the state of public higher education in the United States focuses on government financing of higher education, the high costs of both government and good education, and student attitudes toward their education. A new general education curriculum design at the University of Chicago (Illinois), designed to alleviate some of these…

Describes the creation and implementation of voluntary standards and benchmarks for the teaching and learning of economics at the precollege level. The standards, established by the National Council on Economic Education in 1997, outline fundamental economic concepts to be taught at each grade level. Includes copies of the standards. (MJP)

Suggests that the claims of advocates of centralized standards and universal testing of schools must be questioned and that alternatives to testing should be considered for the educational output of schools. Argues that supporters have failed to consider the costs of national essay-type tests and the inherent problems of test reliability. (MJP)

Firm evidence shows that formative assessment is an essential ingredient of classroom work and that its development can raise achievement standards. Achieving this goal demands a four-point scheme for teacher development: learning from development, a slow, yet steady dissemination process, reduction of obstacles, and substantive research efforts.…

An interview with Susan Loucks-Horsley, director of professional development at the National Research Council's Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education, explores the importance of good teachers, deficiencies in professional development, rural problems, the importance of high academic standards, how the newer standards differ…

Efforts to desegregate schools since the 1954 "Brown" decision have only partly succeeded. Racial and economic segregation still limits minority and poor children's educational opportunities. A new educational civil rights movement must replace authoritarian, antidemocratic standards and tests with diverse schools, staff, pedagogies,…

Analyzes leading journal citations for introductory sociology textbooks to determine if there has been a decline in the quality of such textbooks. Discovers a greater percentage of citations to earlier textbooks. Suggests, however, that this could be due to expanded publishing opportunities and the emphasis given to original research. (MJP)

Reviews major issues germane to the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) case. Discusses the second wave of Texas standards-based reform that would institutionalize retention for students failing a state-mandated achievement test, proposed federal legislation limiting use of high stakes tests, and psychometric and policy lessons learned from…