The National Study on Alternate Assessments (NSAA) was mandated by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). Specifically, the law called for a "Study on Ensuring Accountability for Students Who Are Held to Alternative Achievement Standards" to examine: (1) the criteria that states use to determine…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that all students be assessed academically in mathematics and reading, and for purposes of adequate yearly progress (AYP), participation rates in statewide assessments must be 95 percent for all students. Federal law requires states to have at least one alternate assessment to evaluate the performance…

Founded in 2007, the "Technology Centers That Work" (TCTW) school improvement model is designed to assist shared-time technology centers in preparing graduates for postsecondary studies and employment in high-demand, high-wage, high-skill fields. "TCTW" was modified from SREB's "High Schools That Work" ("HSTW") design to address shared-time…

State laws and regulations can either help or hinder the ability of school districts to hire effective teachers for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. State officials wanting to tackle this critical problem need to begin with a thorough review of relevant policies, asking themselves: "Are we part of the problem, and…

In this report, Joan Herman, director for the National Center for Research, on Evaluation, Standards, & Student Testing (CRESST) recommends that the new generation of science standards be based on lessons learned from current practice and on recent examples of standards-development methodology. In support of this, recent, promising efforts to…

This paper examines fragility, capacity development and education and the links between these by analysing relevant research and policy literature. It proposes ways forward for action and reflection at national, regional and international levels. An important element of capacity development in education systems is the establishment of education…

The ability to compute, problem solve, and apply concepts and skills in mathematics influences multiple decisions in our lives. The National Research Council (1989) reported that mathematics is especially evident in our technology-rich society, where number sense and problem solving skills have increased the importance and demands of advanced…

Recounts how a teacher's ideas can change when she serves on an accreditation board. (PF)

The latest contribution to the content standards boom that began in the 1990s comes from the American Psychological Association (APA), which recently published "National Standards for the Teaching of High School Psychology." This Digest discusses: (1) the origin and purposes of the project to develop standards for high school psychology…

A discussion of the new Standards for the evaluation of teacher preparing institutions devised by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and of the Guidelines, included in these Standards, intended for institutions to use in developing their programs and in preparing for visitation teams. (LS)

Asserts that art is not an impractical "break" from serious learning but rather an essential part of that learning, focusing on the art classroom's traditional status as a refuge, the importance of accountability in art education, and benefits for classroom teachers. The paper explains that accountability does not mean the end of the art classroom…

Discusses how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is considering rules that would tie teams' participation to academic performance. (EV)

Reports on a pilot study of benchmarking of academic standards in the United Kingdom and offers empirical data that benchmarking in higher education needs to be approached differently than benchmarking in the industrial/commercial milieu. Argues that the complexity which underpins academic standards is inimical to generalizations applicable across…