This booklet contains essays by three principals in which they describe why they chose to organize their schools around standards and the challenges and successes they encountered along the way. It details the themes associated with the successful implementation of standards, such as continuous learning, patience, resourcefulness, creativity,…

This paper reports on a case study that explored the process K-4 educators encounter as they attempted to implement recommendations from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. The primary research questions of the study asked: what triggers major school change? what complexities surround school change? and what sustains…

This paper presents a study that examined the processes used by a school community and school leaders in a K-4 elementary school to implement reform mathematics instruction. The research, based on a case study, explored the changing nature of classroom environments, where teachers created learning opportunities, and the transformation in…

This practicum report describes the development of a handbook for Masters in Business Administration (MBA) students at the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University, Florida. This project included a literature review, a review of handbooks from other universities, generation of a list of topics, development of an…

This report examines the implementation of standards-based reform in Washington and whether the reform strategy has worked. The report is based on a survey of two statewide samples of elementary schools at which students had taken the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) fourth-grade test in 1997 and 1998. The first was a sample of 30…

This digest describes the key features of current accountability systems and explores their implications for administrators. It discusses various aspects of accountability systems, such as rigorous content standards and the alignment of professional development with standards and test results, and how these elements work together to improve…

The Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) has been underway since 1997. Since then, fourth grade students have been assessed annually on the Colorado Model Content Standards for Reading and Writing. In 1998, testing began on third grade reading. Over the course of time, other grades and subject areas will be phased in. In the fall of 1999,…

In kindergarten, students learn the symbols of the alphabet and numeric symbols. This unit is designed to help students understand what patriotic symbols are and that the nation and the state have symbols and icons to represent thoughts, feelings, emotions, and physical objects. Exposure to different national and state symbols helps students…

In this unit of study, students demonstrate a familiarity with the school's layout and the jobs people do there. The unit has students discuss jobs in the community and match simple descriptions of the work with the names of related jobs and with the equipment required for the jobs. They also compare and contrast jobs of today with jobs of long…

This booklet outlines the model content standards in reading and writing for students in the state of Colorado. The booklet cites the following six standards for public school elementary and secondary students: (1) students read and understand a variety of materials; (2) students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences; (3)…

Issues surrounding boys'"underachievement" have been at the center of public debate about education and the raising of standards in recent years. Media and political responses to the "problem of boys" have tended to be simplistic, partial, and owe more to quick fixes than investigation and research. This book provides a…

A better understanding of economics enables people to understand the forces that affect them every day and helps them identify and evaluate the consequences of private decisions and public policies. Learning how to reason about economic issues is important also because the analytic approach of economics differs in key respects from approaches…

This paper describes one college faculty member's experiences coordinating departmental preparations for a 5-year, continuing program approval/accreditation visit from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the Florida Board of Regents. It notes that in addition to the…

This document presents the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Students with Severe Disabilities, a subset of the general standards and alternate progress indicators that emphasize daily life skills. Introductory material reviews the development of these standards and the alternate progress indicators including the purpose, process,…

This planning grid for teaching visual arts in grade 1 in Delaware schools outlines the following six standards for students to complete: (1) students will select and use form, media techniques, and processes to create works of art and communicate meaning; (2) students will create ways to use visual, spatial, and temporal concepts is creating…