This paper is a combination of two separate essays, both of which examine changes in standards for student and teacher performance in various states over the past two years. Part 1 examines changes in standards for graduation from high school and the introduction or expansion of statewide programs of testing. Changes in the overall units for…

A rethinking of the major concepts held about the post-industrial society presents educators with the challenge of translating research insights into the praxis of everyday life to improve students' employability. Forecasters of an "information society" where Americans engage only in services and communications forget that an…

A decade ago, California's community colleges were the nation's undisputed leaders of community college education--unparalleled in access, quality, diversity, and size. Today, these institutions are deeply concerned with inadequate and unstable funding, declining enrollments, skepticism about the quality of programs, and students' lack of…

Two conference papers describing various collaborative arrangements within the educational community among teachers, students and others are presented in this document. The first paper, "Successful Collaborations" (Eugene Cota-Robles), describes the following projects in California that seek to forge collaborations to improve the…

In the 1980s and 1990s important demographic, economic, and social changes will affect the nation's schools, families, and workplaces. In anticipation of these developments, there is renewed interest in formal educational attainment and basic academic skills. A concerted national effort to address the current crisis in basic skills development…

This hearing presents the text of House Resolution 1134, related testimony, prepared statements, and supplementary materials. A statement by Tom Downey, a congressional representative from New York State and the introducer of the bill, is followed by a prepared statement, two articles, and testimony by Ludwig Braun of the Computer Science…

Contrary to expectations a decade ago, the United States has not buried the dichotomy between vocational education and academic education. Instead, as shown by the publication of the report, "A Nation at Risk," the academic community is again declaring war on the vocational education establishment. This report, which stresses the need…

This document examines approaches to educational reform currently under consideration in the Pacific Northwest and discusses policy issues involved with these reform efforts. The introduction discusses broad-scale policy issues, including the setting of priorities amid the diversity of reforms, the clarifying of beliefs and selection of changes…

Presented is a detailed plan of action directed toward the Nation's achieving world educational leadership (as measured by student achievement, participation levels, and other non-subjective criteria) in mathematics, science, and technology in elementary/secondary schools by the year 1995. Sweeping and drastic changes are proposed in the breadth…

The current crisis in the quality and instruction of pre-college mathematics/science education is acknowledged to be one of the major problems confronting American education. Such future demographic changes as increasing numbers of immigrant and minority-group students in the school population will make the crisis more acute. Many factors need to…

This digest of recent proposals for educational reform provides a reference guide for those who wish to study these proposals in depth. Reports included are: (1) "Academic Preparation for College" (College Board Project Equality); (2) "ACSA's Recommendations on Standards" (Association of California School Administrators); (3) "Action for…

The following considerations are of major importance to the persons who act as technical assisters for the Long Range Plan for School Improvement (LRPSI) in Pennsylvania: (1) long-range planning should be viewed as a deliberative and participative process; its steps should not be considered in isolation from each other; (2) comprehensive needs…

In 1981, TDR Associates, a private, independent research organization in Newton, Massachusetts, began a two and one-half year study of "Knowledge Utilization and School Improvement Through Staff Initiated Inservice Programs." This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Education and conducted under an arrangement with…

This paper describes the activities and experiences of a technical assistance consultant working with a superintendent and assistant superintendent to implement the Achievement Directed Leadership (ADL) school improvement program during 1981-82. The paper's first section describes the ADL program's "top-down" implementation plan, with…

This document describes an interdisciplinary approach for encouraging students to become more cognizant of environmental concerns. Environmental issues are addressed in high school social studies, chemistry, and German language classes. The objectives of the plan are as follows: 1) develop student awareness of environmental issues and the…