In this article, the author discusses that the ability to clearly link resources, activities and goals in a rational and logical manner is a model that many educators and school leaders would welcome. She also states that in the 1990s, when the state moved in the direction of standards and accountability, part of the thinking was that public…

This article describes a vermicomposting program at Epping Elementary School in New Hampshire. The "Feed It to the Worms: A Vermicomposting Geographic Curriculum," developed by the New Hampshire Geographic Alliance and led by fourth grade teacher, Lisa Madison, fits perfectly into the school's ongoing Artist-in-Residence program, where…

Recent implementation of Nebraska's Standards-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System (STARS) introduced a unique opportunity to examine the benefits and drawbacks of a teacher-led state assessment system. STARS is unique among state assessment systems in that statewide tests are replaced by locally developed assessments designed by…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act foresees to change the curriculum of mathematics in United States to make it rigorous and accessible to all students. A standard curriculum is suggested for all students in one state.

The success of standards-based education systems depends on 2 elements: strong standards, and assessments that measure what the standards expect. States that have or adopt test-based accountability programs claim that their tests are aligned to their standards. But there has been up to now no independent methodology for checking alignment. This…

This article examines the statutory and policy framework for California's standards-based reform and accountability scheme and argues that this scheme, not unlike others throughout the country, fails to ensure that all children are provided with the necessary resources and conditions to achieve at the high levels prescribed by the state's content…

This qualitative research project studied the efforts of a small public elementary school over the course of 1 academic year to meet higher standards imposed by the state. The state's department of education defined school success in terms of the percentage of students passing a set of multiple-choice, standardized tests in four core areas of the…

The expansion of high-stakes accountability in the past decades has created an unavoidable tension with contemporary efforts to promote multicultural curricula. Accountability requires that states establish common standards, a difficult task when there is disagreement about what content students should learn. Policy makers can adopt an…

Despite the premise that charter schools are to be given flexibility in return for being held accountable for their results, few charter schools have actually been closed because of poor academic performance. The author sees the problem as a political one: the differing stakes between charter school families and members of the broader community.…

When taking up her headship of a one-form entry primary school in "special measures" Alison Peacock's approach was to begin to rekindle joy amongst teachers in order to nurture and enhance the natural love of life and learning in children. She refused to label children by ability, preferring to value all individuals and celebrate success. Applying…

In this article, the author presents the strategies used by Delaware to improve its schools' academic performance. In 1992, the First State was among the first states to adopt teaching standards in key academic subjects, craft tests aligned closely with those standards, and create sticks and carrots to ensure that schools use them. By the end of…

When asked to demonstrate that they set standards for their higher education qualifications which are equivalent to Australian and international standards, Australian universities typically refer to a range of measures, and many refer to the accreditation of their programs by vocational bodies or registration boards. However, writes the author,…

There has been a continuing drama over the unanswered question of whether students with disabilities deserve a high school diploma. Currently, a student is awarded a high school diploma if he or she meets local standards and if he or she passes the state's competency test of if his or her passage of the Indiana Standardized Test of Educational…

In this article, the author describes a key challenge facing liberal arts presidents: to accommodate a reciprocal relationship between thinking and doing. Achieving a continuum between thought and action has never been easy--on the academic side is the fear of diluting intellectual rigor matched on the practical side by the fear of paralysis.…

An effort to bring commonality to what students bring with them may be the reason that California's Content Standards so heavily emphasize what students must know and understand. In fact, this author's analysis of California's Content Standards shows that just over one-quarter of the standards are written at a "remember" or an…