"Symbolics" gives students the foundation needed to be successful. School administrators will benefit more by implementing the "symbolics" realms of meaning into their core curriculum. "Symbolics" lays a foundation for critical thinking skills which will help educators to address the most common question students ask while taking mathematics. "Why…

The core curriculum of information systems (IS) is vital to the IS field. It serves as a base of knowledge that all IS graduates should possess. Within academic and practitioners' communities, there have been constant discussions about the content of the IS core curriculum. In this article, the authors used a direct survey strategy to examine all…

The "Ordo servundum in addiscendis disciplinis mathematicis" is a milestone in the history of the teaching of mathematics. Conceived by Christoph Clavius for the Jesuit Colleges, it was not only a syllabus for mathematical studies for the students at Jesuit colleges but also an instrument for training mathematics teachers. Its coherence and its…

In the fall of 1997, Pittsburg State University (PSU), Pittsburg, Kansas, held ribbon-cutting ceremonies on two major campus projects. The event that received the most media attention was the dedication of the University's $30 million Kansas Technology Center (KTC). The 260,000 square foot KTC would serve as the new home of the University's…

"Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics" is a core curriculum for students at all ability levels in kindergarten through grade 6. The program supports students' understanding of key math concepts and skills and covers a range of mathematical content across grades. The curriculum focuses on questioning strategies,…

A study interviewed 28 students enrolled in a great books course at Temple University. While interviews did not follow a strict formal pattern, they all covered 4 areas: (1) student interpretations of overall purpose of the course; (2) the influence the course had on the student; (3) which texts were "enjoyable,""difficult" or…

This paper addresses the issue of defining the concept of core curriculum by first examining some of the literature on the subject, discussing why there is resistance to defining "core," citing common uses for the term "core curriculum," and exploring the historical roots of core curriculum. Next, the paper describes eight…

This paper describes certain fundamental realities and choices that planners and teachers of core curricula at the college level must take into account in order to devise programs of quality and integrity. Six common sense realities and the choices they demand are presented and discussed. First, core programs must avoid reducing the teaching and…

From the perspective of constitutional law, this volume reconciles the conflicting claims of educational reformers who demand a curriculum for national unity and those who call for multiculturalism. The first part of the book describes the educators' opposing views about core curriculum and the century-long history of the debate. The second part…

In an effort to infuse professional and preprofessional academic programs with liberal arts learning, this project at the University of Baltimore (Maryland) resulted in the establishment of a required liberal arts core curriculum for upper division students. The project provided funding for three activities: interdisciplinary team teaching of the…

The administration and faculty of Carthage College (a four-year liberal arts college with a primarily white, middle class student body and faculty) instituted the Heritage Studies Program to promote multiculturalism through writing across the curriculum. The four-semester sequence required of all first- and second-year students was approved by the…

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has commissioned studies of state academic standards in five core subjects. This is the second of these studies, focusing on standards for history. After the controversy surrounding the proposed "national history standards" in 1994, history has become a subject with no generally accepted national standards.…

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has commissioned studies of state academic standards in five core subjects. This is the fifth of these studies, focusing on state standards for science. Thirty-six states presented standards for evaluation. Some states were in the process of revising standards, while others simply had no standards to present.…

A chart presents average composite scores on the ACT Assessment by state for 1998 ACT-tested graduates. The states are listed in alphabetical order, with the percentage of total graduates tested and the average composite score given for each state. Also included are the average scores of students who have completed the recommended core high school…

Recent years have witnessed a great upsurge in interest in a core curriculum. However, there has been some disagreement as to what should be included or how it should be defined. Allan Bloom has argued most strongly that the "Great Books" should form the basis of the core curriculum. Not only is the term itself ambiguous, but the…