This monograph examines state initiatives to create educational structures that more closely align K-12 and postsecondary education. Data were collected as part of a national survey of state higher education agencies and site visits to Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin. Site visits in 1997 to Georgia, Maryland, and Ohio…

This study evaluated a science professional development initiative developed by the Delaware State Department of Education, examining the nature of professional development activities, their effect on science classrooms, and their impact on teachers, students, and schools. The Science Van Project integrated technology and inquiry into Delaware's…

This report examines how inner-city schools are performing on the academic goals and standards set by the states. Researchers investigated student achievement in math and reading and measured achievement gaps between cities and states, African Americans and Whites, and Hispanics and Whites. The report focuses on whether urban schools have made…

This paper outlines the nexus between developing pedagogical content knowledge and the pressures for preparing pre-service teachers to be successful on high stakes testing. Increasing expectations about what students should know and be able to do, breakthroughs in research on how children learn, and the increasing diversity of the student…

This paper shows how a mid-sized teacher education institution proactively developed a performance assessment method, Teacher Work Samples (TWSs), addressing the school's efforts to use TWSs to obtain evidence of the impact of teacher performance on student learning. The paper examines challenges faced in developing and implementing TWS…

This second edition provides principals, teachers, and parents with new insight into early childhood education. Research underscores the importance of increasing emphasis on literacy and language acquisition, using assessment tools effectively, expanding community linkages, meeting the needs of a diverse student body, balancing academic and…

This policy statement clarifies the role of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team in selecting individual accommodations, modifications in administration, and alternate assessments for state and district-wide assessments. It states that neither the state education agency (SEA) nor the local education agency (LEA) can limit the authority…

Designed for parents and family members of students with disabilities, this policy statement clarifies federal requirements for including children with disabilities in state and district-side assessment programs. Information is presented in a question-and-answer format that addresses: (1) requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities…

Arguing that the burden of homework causes significant family stress--including parent-child conflict, reduced family leisure time, and overly tired children--this book questions whether the benefits of homework are worth its costs. The book examines the historical progression of homework and the influence of international competition on the trend…

Chapters in this book include the following: "Dickens as Sociolinguist: Dialect in 'David Copperfield'" (Patricia Poussa); "Contemporary Irish Writing and a Model of Speech Realism (John M. Kirk); "Dialect and Accent in Jim Cartwright's Play "Road" as Seen Through Erving Goffman's Theory on Footing" (Marion Fields); "The Representation of…

Noting ongoing difficulties in identifying the fundamental role of social studies in educating young children, this chapter focuses on how children begin to develop historical and geographic understanding. The chapter considers age-appropriate and developmental concerns and the role of national standards in history and geography. The chapter…

This guide provides assessment models to those involved in planning and implementing workplace assessment and certification systems, including systems supported by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. Chapter 2 presents the following: a kindergarten-through-career vision for cross-industry assessment; a plan for spanning the needs and goals of…

This document provides guidelines to school districts, BOCES, and teacher training institutions regarding technology-related skills that Colorado teachers, school library media specialists and other certified staff should have in order to meet the ever changing needs of Colorado's learners. The document is the result of deliberations by a working…

As an alternative to the drill and practice worksheets that typically supplement student learning, this book provides a reference for kindergarten through fifth grade teachers containing ideas for interactive activities to invigorate daily lessons in many areas of the elementary school curriculum, as well as providing ideas for home school…

Public policy affects the experiences of workers and their families, both directly and indirectly. For example, employment-focused statutes such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Employment Retirement and Income Security Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act establish frameworks for…