Outlining procedures involved in arriving at a newly adopted curriculum for the Oak Park, Illinois, high school of which he is the associate principal in charge of instruction, the author argues the importance of developing a comprehensive vision of educational priorities before considering specific curricular components. (JBM)

The future demands a renewal of community and a curriculum that will counteract the excesses of individualism and broaden social visions, suggest these authors. This article is adapted from a forthcoming book and emphasizes the need for a curriculum that deals with the American heritage and the university's role in it. (Editor/LBH)

New Jersey's new professional standards for teachers and school leaders were adopted by the State Board of Education in December 2003 as part of the new licensing regulations. These new professional standards provide a clear vision of the knowledge, performances and dispositions that teachers and school leaders need to support the learning…

This report addresses the relationship between state content standards and assessments and the essential components of effective reading instruction. The extent to which the essential components are addressed in the standards and assessments indicates the extent to which states have integrated the essential components into their reading…

The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States. It is part of the social studies core curriculum in U.S. schools. By the time they graduate from high school, students are expected to know the main ideas in the Declaration of Independence and their significance. This digest discusses: (1) the origins of the…

A recently completed landmark study of mathematics and science education in more than 40 countries gathered information that can help address questions as to why students in one country do better in math and science than students in another. This report focuses on the results of the primary school science test of students in 26 countries, from the…

Probably no other concept comes closer to encompassing the core of personality psychology than the concept of the self. This teaching activity provides instructors with a self-contained teaching module--including lecture material, an in-class activity, suggestions for in-class discussion, and supporting references--on the topic of identity…

This leaflet contains a checklist of actions students should take to prepare for college. The checklist begins with the pre high school years, by advising selection of challenging courses and outlining ways to save for college. Ninth graders are again advised to select challenging courses and to begin to think about possible careers. It is…

This news release reports that college-bound high school students in 2000 have maintained the American College Testing Program (ACT) score level reached in the last years of the 1990s. Data show the composite ACT score to be 21 (on the scale of 1-36) for the fourth consecutive year. A record number of 1,065,138 members of the high school class of…

This "how-to" booklet was compiled by Oklahoma's "Phonics Task Force" to help teachers of K-3 students further incorporate phonics into daily reading instruction using a systematic approach--one that is logical, sequential, and orderly. The booklet states that the use of phonics in Oklahoma's core curriculum has been promoted…

This report examines the relationship between high school academic curricula and students' persistence path through college, approximately 3 years after first enrolling. Data are from the 1995-1996 Beginning Postsecondary Students Survey, a longitudinal study of beginning postsecondary students who first enrolled in a four-year college in…

Designed for preservice elementary and/or middle school teachers, this methods and resources volume compiles well-researched information on social studies education. It uses the standards recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) as a foundation, thoroughly discussing the core disciplines and thematic strands. The book…

The purpose of this study was to examines the relationship between students' core knowledge and their achievement in mathematics and reading on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The study was based on E. D. Hirsch's theory that having a strong foundation of core knowledge in one grade is necessary for growth and the understanding of new and more…

The report describes the work of an American Association of Colleges of Nursing task force charged with defining the central elements of master's education for advanced practice nursing. The task force formed a consensus for two separate but related components: a statement of the essential core curriculum content for master's-educated nurses and a…

Teachers, principals and parents often ask about the effectiveness of Core Knowledge. This article is meant to answer that question, by providing a brief overview of some of the most recent and most relevant research on Core Knowledge. This document has been divided into two sections. The first section treats direct evidence; the second looks at…