In 2004 the Finnish National Board of Education launched a new curriculum framework that includes principles, instructional aims, and a brief list of content by subject areas. The intent of this framework is that teachers should interpret the core curriculum at the local level and apply it in their own schools and classrooms. This approach…

This study explores the effectiveness of an intervention involving formative assessment in a first-year core business subject. Students were invited to receive feedback on a draft of their first written assessment during the early weeks of the semester. Consideration is given to the economic and ethical issues raised by the intervention. A…

The STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) movement has developed from a non-educational rationale. Although some think it may enliven the delivery of maths and science in classrooms, the social and economic rationales are those that have initiated this movement. Spurred on by the global financial crisis, it is hoped that…

This quantitative study used the Schools and Staffing Survey of 2007-2008, a school-based stratified probability-proportionate-to-size sample of all American schools, to explore the relationships of professional development to teachers' self- and collective efficacy by school accountability status as measured by adequate yearly progress (AYP). In…

International comparisons have highlighted that the U.S. mathematics curriculum, both in terms of curriculum influences (e.g., textbooks, standards) and actual instruction, is broad and shallow. Standards-based reform is explicitly designed to improve coherence and reduce redundancy across grades. This article evaluates the redundancy of…

For their ambitious project, called America at War, high school juniors at Da Vinci Charter Academy in the Davis (California) Joint Unified School District didn't just study history. They became historians. Their project offers compelling evidence of what students can accomplish through project-based learning (PBL), an instructional approach that…

Case studies pertaining to the health benefits of foods can be particularly effective in engaging students and in teaching core concepts in science (Heidemann and Urquart 2005). This case study focuses on the chemistry of curcumin, the health-promoting ingredient in turmeric. The case was developed to review core concepts in organic chemistry and…

The drive to raise standards in core curriculum subjects, and the teaching of thinking skills, are both aspects of the UK government's education policy for England. This article is based on findings from a questionnaire-based research project which investigated the relationship between National Curriculum tests, which are an important element of…

"Everyday Mathematics"[R], published by Wright Group/McGraw-Hill, is a core curriculum for students in prekindergarten through grade 6. At each grade level, the "Everyday Mathematics"[R] curriculum provides students with multiple opportunities to learn concepts and practice skills. Across grade levels, concepts are reviewed and…

As with many previous K-12 educational reform efforts, expectations that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010) will assist students in learning so that they can prepare for college and the workforce are very high (American College Testing, 2012). Briefly, the CCSS "are designed…

While the Common Core State Standards and state learning standards guide teachers in what mathematical content knowledge should be addressed as well as the processes and proficiencies necessary for developing mathematical competence, several student- and teacher-related factors may hinder student access to the general education curriculum for…

"Something in Common" is the first book to provide a detailed look at the groundbreaking Common Core State Standards and their potential to transform American education. This book tells the story of the unfolding political drama around the making of the Common Core State Standards for math and English language arts, which were adopted by…

Schools have become increasingly multicultural, and many students are coming from families of lower socioeconomic status. Current educators are responsible for improving students' social behavior and community awareness, and are accountable for student academic achievement. For this reason, educators are continually seeking initiatives that engage…

This study focused on the degree to which New Jersey public middle school principals perceived that New Jersey public middle school teachers are implementing the New Jersey Core Curricular Content Standard for Technology (Standard 8.1 Computer and Information Literacy), mandated by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) into their teaching…

For at least a half century, education reformers have quipped that 120th Street in New York City, the street that separates Teachers College from the rest of Columbia University, "is the widest street in the world." Underlying this quip is the belief that Columbia's liberal arts faculty members regularly dismiss the child-centered educational…