The report describes development of an alternative core curriculum of courses grounded equally in both mathematics/sciences and traditional humanities. The alternative core curriculum is based on the belief that mathematics, broadly defined, is the common language and basis for the contemporary revolutions in the physical sciences, social…

This report examines whether a high school curriculum organized around the five "new basics" suggested by the National Commission on Excellence in Education is likely to enhance student achievement. Data from the ETS Growth Study reveals that completion of the core curriculum has sizable effects on senior-year test performance, even when…

Program discontinuance at colleges and universities is often linked to issues of program demand and quality. However, neither low demand nor low quality is sufficient for program discontinuance without a judgment on the criterion of the centrality of the program to the institution's core mission. Colleges' retrenchment and survival mechanisms…

One of a series of publications to assist Australian secondary school teachers in the area of social studies skill development, this booklet provides an introduction to basic social studies skills and their implications for classroom teaching. Following an introduction, part 1 examines current curriculum trends in Australia. Included in the…

Provided are guidelines for evaluating undergraduate professional education in chemistry. The guidelines summarize an approved program as including: 400 hours of classroom work; 500 hours of laboratory work; a core curriculum covering principles of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry; 1 year of advanced work in chemistry or…

The article discusses the educational situation in Queensland and offers an alternative to the present open education plan. It suggests: that traditional education is appropriate for teaching basic skills, as in specific areas of mathematics where one level of mastery may depend on certain knowledge at a lower level; that curricula which are…

Since 1956 the "Core Program" in the Omaha (Nebraska) Public School System has been a central part of the seventh through ninth grade curriculum. The program is interdisciplinary combining the teaching of language arts and social studies in blocks of two or three hours. These extended periods allow for the integration of academic…

The process being used by the University of Montevallo (Alabama) to evaluate the outcomes of its general education program is presented. Emphasis is on the triangulation procedure used to evaluate the validity of the outcome measure selected--the College Outcomes Measures Project (COMP) Test of the American College Testing Program (1984). The…

This analysis is the seventh of a series of seven reports on the ways that the urban fiscal crisis has affected children. The fiscal containment imposed on California schools after the enactment of Proposition 13 in 1978 has resulted in changes in urban high school curricula over the past five years. A telephone survey of school personnel and…

The Ministers of Education of the European Community (EC) drafted a resolution in May 1988 regarding the consolidation of the European dimension in education. The resolution is meant to contribute to young people (1) becoming more aware of the European identity and the value of European civilization and of its foundations; (2) realizing the…

This guide lists the core curriculum competencies expected to be developed by students in secondary Fundamentals of Marketing courses in Missouri. It was developed through revision of the prior core curriculum by a project team with input from all the marketing instructors in the state. Competencies listed in the revised fundamentals of marketing…

This paper describes a detailed design for installing a program of assessment for a program of communication studies at a midwestern university. The paper outlines the specific goal-setting procedures as well as the collaborative efforts by faculty and students in providing diverse pre-program, mid-program, post-program, and cognitive learning…

Arts education is a fundamental obligation of the public schools. Students grow in unique and critical ways by experiencing the arts through practice. The study of the heritage of the arts in their intellectual, critical, and aesthetic dimensions enhances student perspectives. Mankind's artistic achievements are the heritage of every child and an…

A study compared the results of a 1986 survey on the opinions of preservice teachers with those of a survey conducted in 1984 by William Bennett (at that time chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities). Bennett's survey asked respondents to list 30 works that students should be expected to read before high school graduation.…

A project to help small independent liberal arts colleges integrate technology and the liberal arts in the undergraduate curriculum is considered in this newsletter issue. The first two stages of this project on Technology and the Liberal Arts, which is sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges, are described, along with the progress of…