This project evaluated 30 state accountability systems, including each state's academic standards, assessments (in both reading and math and for elementary, middle, and high school), and the accountability policies that define success and failure and provide both positive and negative incentives for success. The 30 accountability systems evaluated…

This publication, an annotated bibliography of articles relevant to Standards-based mathematics curriculum reform, is intended as a resource for educators and communities considering the selection and implementation of a Standards-based mathematics curriculum. It also may assist individuals who are interested in learning about the student…

Twenty years of research on school performance has created a body of knowledge that grounds today's school improvement efforts and has resulted in a concise list of characteristics that are common to high-performing schools. As accountability becomes more and more important, educational leaders across the nation are actively attempting to foster…

This lesson contains materials for the U.S. Navy Museum's "Ships to the Sea" program. The program is appropriate for students in grades 2-4 and was designed in accordance with local and national social studies standards. The materials introduce students to the world of ship technology and naval terminology. The lesson is presented in…

To promote academic integrity among students, a committee of faculty and administrators at the University of California, San Diego, developed a tutorial or instructional module designed to educate users about what constitutes academic integrity and how to recognize practices that may be indicative of plagiarism or academic dishonesty. The tutorial…

This paper describes a practical method for identifying and communicating expectations of student performance in the classroom. The method has been used at McREL for clients who require a systematic approach to setting performance expectations and communicating these to their constituents. This document in organized in the following sections: (1)…

In 1998, the Southern Regional Education Board began using "High Schools That Work" (HSTW) strategies to improve urban student achievement. HSTW staff compared data from 1998 and 2000 HSTW assessments and examined the performance of career-bound students from 55 urban high schools. Results offer information on progress made in raising…

This study provides an organized list of core mathematics standards and benchmarks that are recognized by most or all of the states in the central region which includes Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. State standards were reviewed against the reference set of standards and benchmarks to determine what…

This book is a guide to staying focused on teaching and learning in the context of standards-based reforms. The aim is to make sense of the complex issues involved, explain the various perspectives, separate the useful from the harmful, and offer suggestions on how to proceed. The chapters are: (1) "What Gets in the Way of Important Learning:…

This report presents an analysis of the alignment between the grade level standards of the "South Dakota Standards in Mathematics" (December 1998) and test items from the Stanford Achievement Tests, Ninth Edition (Stanford 9). The tests of interest were: (1) Form S, Primary 2 (grade 2); (2) Form S, Intermediate 1 (grade 4); (3) Form S,…

This guidebook, designed to assist colleges and universities to meet National Council for the Social Studies/National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education program standards, is one of three documents that deal with national standards for social studies teachers. The guidebook is intended to help colleges and universities assess the…

This book offers a comprehensive program of holistic accountability for educators, school board members, school leaders, and parents. Holistic accountability systems yield information about curriculum, assessment, and instruction that can lead to better practices, better decision making, and higher student achievement. The chapters are: (1) "What…

Some of the central features of current educational accountability systems are discussed using the requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 as the primary example. It is argued that broadly shared responsibility is needed for accountability systems to contribute to improved education. It is also suggested that systems need to…

In 1998, Virginia's Quality Indicators and Core Standards provided a new measure for documenting educational gains for adults who are, according to the Performance Standard for Measure 3, "pursuing learning projects based on their individual goals and/or objectives." These adults are considered "project learners." Their…

This instructional packet is intended to help classroom instructors introduce fascinating quandaries rarely featured in history textbooks about the ancient and medieval eras. Most of the 13 lesson plans require only 1 or 2 class periods to complete, permitting the teacher to enhance the presentation of a particular unit without fear of devoting…