Rebuts Alfie Kohn's article "Only for My Kid: How Privileged Parents are Undermining School Reform" in the April 1998 "Kappan." Kohn expects the author to pay a fortune for a home in an affluent community so his kids can get violence-prevention training and sing "Kumbaya" in a mainstreamed classroom. Earning the right…

Describes a site-based, rural teacher education program for Navajo students (the Pinon Partnership Program) which infused foundations throughout the program and used the Council of Learned Societies in Education's (CLSE) Social Foundations standards as its framework. Specific examples of how the six CLSE principles played out in the author's…

Considers how when literacy educators become more politically involved, they have more influence on the legislation that affects their own lives and their students' futures. Hopes to reach educators who are pessimistic about new standards and hopes they find practical suggestions for ways to better understand what new standards reforms and…

Uses recent evaluations of English/Language Arts standards to make three points: (1) these evaluations (by organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers, the Fordham Foundation, the Council for Basic Education, and Achieve) are not nonpartisan; (2) such activities are unlikely to move forward the quest for standards-based reform; and…

Profiles Elnora D. Daniel, president of Chicago State University, and outlines the changes she is bringing to this often neglected school. Her first order of business has been to raise admissions standards to focus on quality rather than quantity. Other efforts center on increasing funding for the school , which, although not a historically black…

Summary of a speech by Paul R. Lehman regarding the "National Standards for Arts Education," the standards movement, and the impact of standards on music research and teaching. Includes comments on Ohio's "Comprehensive Arts Education: Ohio's Art Model Competency" standards. Discusses the development of national standards,…

Considers how in these times of increased focus on standards and accountability, it is important to understand the views of the various participants. Begins with a brief history of the testing movement in Texas. Reports findings from a study on the negative effects of high stakes testing. Concludes with suggestions to minimize these effects on…

Explores the concept of professionalism in teaching and the facilitation of learning in higher education in the United Kingdom, discussing the role of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. The article suggests that professionalizing teaching cannot occur through restrictions on the right to practice, but instead will come…

Introduces a collection of articles on educational accountability, outlining the framework used to select and order the articles. The framework clarifies the concept of accountability and identifies assumptions and tools associated with four different approaches to accountability (market competition, decentralization, professionalization, and…

Discusses conditions under which educational accountability might prompt academic improvement, critiquing the logic linking the two; identifying processes influencing the validity of accountability judgment, acceptance of judgment, and probability that it motivates improvement; and analyzing 12 New Zealand primary schools' methods of informing…

Suggests that state standards-based reform is insufficient alone, examining long-standing school improvement processes in one Oregon school district, describing the use of standards-based reform and school improvement in the district, and exploring relations between the two efforts. This case shows congruence of approach between the district and…

Using a structured group discussion and questionnaire, the criteria used by faculty at a British university when grading undergraduate dissertations was investigated. Common ground and differences in criteria were identified. Issues included the tension between individual teacher freedom and institutional demands, and staff development…

Using documented materials, interviews, a questionnaire, and content analysis, Investigated the criteria used by faculty at a British university when grading undergraduate dissertations. Findings indicated considerable ambiguity regarding use, meaning, and application of criteria. (EV)

Describes one educator's experiences as the first teacher in the state of Arizona to apply for the new, voluntary National Board certification, noting how her colleagues helped in the process, discussing how it felt to wait for the results, and explaining that it was worth the long process of certification because it helped her achieve the highest…

This case study investigated how state and district reform policies affected the organization and administration of Title I schoolwide programs in Chicago's public schools, noting whether application of standards to all students contributed to increasing curricular and instructional integration. Results highlight increased teacher collaboration,…