The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has proposed six assessment standards: (1) assessment should focus on the most important mathematics; (2) assessment should enhance mathematics learning; (3) assessment should promote equity; (4) assessment processes should be open to review; (5) assessment should yield valid inferences about…

According to a recent study, black athletes are entering National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I colleges at higher rates than before the 1985 imposition of toughened academic standards. Some still find the new rules discriminate against blacks and others from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even stricter rules will take effect in…

Explores the development of 280 students across 7 grades in spelling and word knowledge as well as their pattern of use of lower- to higher-order strategies in their attempts to spell words, write derivations, and display syntactic knowledge. Older students gradually make less use of lower-order strategies in spelling, writing derivations, and in…

Presents a firsthand account of the author's experiences with taking the actions necessary to achieve institutional accreditation. After listing the benefits of working through the process, the article explains the steps used to achieve accreditation. Accredited baccalaureate programs in recreation, park resources, and leisure services are listed.…

Reviews the role of textbooks for increased understanding of academic writing, arguing they are not appreciated. The dampening effects of introductory college textbooks, a reluctance to look beyond the student audience, and the commercial motive are reasons for rejection. Yet textbooks should not be excluded from research-process genres as they…

Paper argues with a proposal that all members of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) must achieve National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation. The roles of AACTE and NCATE in relation to state government and teacher education institutions are examined. (SM)

Two authors respond to each other's papers on the proposal that all members of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) be required to achieve National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation to gain membership. (SM)

In this excerpt from her new book, "National Standards in American Education: A Citizen's Guide," Diane Ravitch argues that there are steps local school boards, parents, and communities can take to implement educational reform and high academic standards. (MLF)

Presents exercises and role plays designed to help English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students enrolled in or bound for American universities understand plagiarism and the need to properly document essays and term papers. (five references) (MDM)

Two studies involving a total of 99 experts examined the reproducibility of standards for 2 medical certifying examinations set under different conditions. Together, results of both studies provide evidence that a modified version of the Angoff method is quite reliable and produces stable results under varying conditions. (SLD)

The Bio-Prep Program, a seven-year-old experiment at Tuba City (Arizona) High School, is transforming the futures of "average" Navajo and Hopi eighth graders while offering insights for educators everywhere. Under Manuel T. Begay's direction, the program offers a high-powered, accelerated academic program featuring innovative mathematics…

Presents information on a standards-based assessment for student laboratory work. Four criteria--planning and design, experimental execution, observation of changes, and interpretation and explanation--are presented along with standards for assessment of laboratory performance. Describes the benefits of teachers enunciating both criteria and…

This paper compares academic performance of American students with that of other countries; addresses responses to poor performance, such as outcome-based approaches to learning and use of national standards; outlines practices being adopted by schools to promote reform; identifies curriculum reform principles; and discusses implications for…

What is striking about the Goals 2000 initiative is its virtual omission of the student, except as passive receptacle. To claim that students will learn more with heightened expectations is misleading. For content to take root, it must connect with students' internal "prepared structures" and become a "comfortable friend." In…

Details the history and politics of educational standards in American educational institutions. Outlines key features of various standards projects. (HB)