Due to problems with academic achievement in public schools, college entrance requirements are not what they were (except in the most elite institutions), and college graduates are not as well educated as they should be. Pre-collegiate standards will be raised only if colleges are willing to say no to unprepared students and if high school…

The great works of Western civilization, long held up to college students as models of human achievement, are rapidly being replaced by trivia and by multicultural and poststructural studies. With the growth of postmodern studies has come a decline in broad-based core requirements. This paper recommends rooting postmodernism out of the university…

Examined beliefs of Nebraska foreign language teachers who were involved in the Nebraska foreign language standards frameworks project about foreign language teaching and learning as they related to the processes of standards development. Results indicated that increases in teaching efficacy, professional advocacy, and standards-based conceptions…

Discusses two areas central to the development mission of the University of Massachusetts (Lowell): (1) restructuring activities for a transformative effect on the regional economy while maintaining academic standards, and (2) who should be involved in these decisions. Reviews projects undertaken by the university under a community-outreach…

Using technology can empower students, but most U.S. schools fall short of this goal. The power of technology as related to other school subjects and problem solving is well documented in projects promoting integration of technology education with mathematics and science. National Science Education Standards are summarized. (26 references) (MLH)

Discussion of educational reform at the K-12 level focuses on current pressures for high standards, the needs of the diverse student body, and testing as the measure of achievement. Suggests higher education's role is, first, to educate powerful teachers and, second, to collaborate in efforts to redesign educational forms and develop standards of…

Provides a historical perspective of the admissions office leading to the present integrative system of enrollment management. The main issue for admissions offices remains that of balancing quantity and quality. Today they can integrate ideas of the past with technology of the present. This use of data will help design curriculums and support…

In UK schools, improvement is demanded and expected. The 10-year-old Quality of Education for All project, emphasizing both structural and cultural change at the school level, has achieved demonstrable success in diverse school contexts. Insights on the theory, process, and practice of school improvement are discussed. (MLH)

This article discusses the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, the advantages of the standards, and the following three recommendations for implementing the goals of the standards for students with disabilities: effective instruction techniques, manipulatives, and real-life application. Guidelines for the effective…

Presents principles behind the construction of English-as-Second-Language (ESL) standards for schools, drawing on examples of ESL standards developed in Australia, England, Wales, and the United States. Examines how differences in purposes in these standards--planning, professional understanding, and reporting--influence how ESL standards might…

Examines current debates about educational standards, accountability, and school reform from the perspective of Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory. Research reveals various perils associated with rigid standards, narrow accountability, and tangible sanctions that can debase student and teacher motivation and performance. Alternative…

Discusses briefly the standards movement and content standards for oral communication. Describes "New Standards" as one model for incorporating the domain of oral communication into an influential, nationally-based program for performance assessment. Discusses five principles regarding speaking/listening/viewing that are incorporated…

A marketing approach to higher education, viewing students as customers, can erode the quality of education. In such an approach, curriculum may be negotiated based on customers' self-perceived needs rather than academic standards. (SK)

Through its recent attempts to establish national curriculum standards, the National Collegiate Athletic Association is creating enormous problems for high school students, parents, and educators. Good grades are no longer enough. The NCAA has opted to specify content of acceptable high school courses to standardize college-entrance requirements…

Suggests that what is missing from the discourse on higher standards in teacher education is discussions of outcomes measures, which make teaching harder and more complicated for teacher candidates, noting that such measures would recognize the complexity and uncertainty of teaching and learning and acknowledge the often concurrent, competing…