The estimates in this report are key statistics reported early in the 1993-94 school year under the early estimates system, which allows the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to report important information promptly. These key statistics include the numbers of students in membership, teachers, and high school graduates for public…

One potential approach to the authentic assessment of what students know and can do in science is concept mapping. A concept map is a graph consisting of nodes representing concepts and labeled lines denoting the relation between a pair of nodes (concepts). The external concept map constructed by the student is interpreted as representing…

This study, part of a 3-year project designed to determine specifically and in-depth the reading, writing, and verbal demands made of students in university-level academic courses, college students by examining academic literacy requirements and involving the cooperative efforts of high school and university faculty members. This paper discusses…

As students observe plant growth, the questions that naturally arise can provide opportunities for student exploration and discovery. This guide presents a collection of activities for students in grades K-8 that turn students' questions into life sciences learning experiences. The guide contains four chapters, each with background information and…

In 1986, the Utah State Board of Education approved a policy of subject specific certification for all secondary and most middle level teachers in the expectation they will hold an endorsement in any subject they are assigned to teach. To assure quality teaching and at the same time provide for a variety of certification options, the Board…

A study identified 16 programs that represented the range of innovative school-to-work approaches found in the United States and drew on their experiences to learn about the challenges they had confronted. Data were collected during two visits to each program in 1992 and 1993. Findings underscored the diversity of the school-to-work movement and…

This document presents a comprehensive set of high school graduation and college entry outcomes and competencies in language arts, mathematics, science, and history for Oklahoma students as developed by college faculty from Oklahoma's higher education system. Each curriculum area's two sections detail recommended topics and skills for high school…

This study examines how a group of Japanese teachers cooperatively designed lessons using a television program and other materials for social and environmental studies. Teachers started the design by identifying their aims of instruction through examining the contents of an educational television program. This program described how a group of…

Despite the proven record of cooperative education (CE) in high school vocational programs and professional college-level programs, several barriers must be overcome before CE can be spread in its current form or used as a model for enlarged school-to-work transition efforts. Among the barriers identified are the following: the diminished status…

This book describes the tech prep/associate degree initiative and illustrates its characteristics and promise through examples of collaborative efforts. Chapter 1 introduces a model or vision for tech prep and shows how it has grown from its vocational education roots to encompass a much broader educational spectrum. Chapter 2 addresses nine basic…

These five commissioned papers explore the relationship between educational reform and parent and community involvement for middle-grade education. The papers are: (1) "Comprehensive Districtwide Reforms in Parent and Community Involvement Programs" (Nancy Feyl Chavkin), on the resources and skills that school districts already have and…

This essay describes charter school development and the 3-year Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Schools Collaborative, which worked with educators and parents to transform comprehensive high schools, increase student outcomes, and establish teacher engagement and parental involvement. Charter schools (intellectual and emotional communities of adults,…

This practicum was designed to develop a transition program and social activities for sixth-graders to help ease the passage from elementary school and increase their sense of belonging in a sixth- through eighth-grade junior high school. The students were surveyed concerning their degree of self-esteem, connection to school, perception of…

Estuaries are marine systems that serve as nurseries for animals, links in the migratory pathways, and habitat for a complex community of organisms. This curriculum guide intended for use at the middle school level is designed for use with the on-site program developed by the Padilla Bay National Esturine Research Reserve (Washington). The guide…

Assessment of student performance is emerging as a crucial ingredient in the recipe for ongoing improvement of school science. This digest focuses on assessment in the service of instruction, for helping students, teachers, and parents monitor learning. According to M. Jorgensen, performance-based assessment requires that the student demonstrate,…