This paper describes a project meant to develop a standard for Hong Kong students' work in biology. The process involves defining students' work and setting standards for students aged 9, 12, and 16. Besides defining the academic and scientific knowledge to be achieved at various levels, the analysis also includes desirable skills and attitudes…

Assessment of elementary school students' knowledge about science is essential. Despite the existence of curricular materials and assessment tools for science content and concepts at all grade levels, there is very little information on how to assess the science process skills that students are expected to learn through science instruction. This…

Intended to make the issue of landmines pertinent and accessible to classroom teachers, this curriculum unit provides material to teach middle school students about the numbers and dangers of anti-personnel landmines placed around the world. By completing the unit, students demonstrate their achievement of several of the social studies standards…

Nevada's six academic standards in the visual arts call for specific educational objectives in grades 3 and 5, as well as in middle school and secondary school. Nevada's standards relate to the knowledge and application of different art techniques and processes which promote understanding the visual arts in relation to history and culture. The…

This paper describes the Milwaukee Public Schools' involvement in Equity 2000, a standards-based reform initiative to enhance mathematics education and achievement among students of color, thereby increasing their likelihood of college enrollment and completion. The study highlights efforts to support and sustain a key component of Equity 2000:…

The four papers in this collection are intended to stimulate debate in the adult education sector and to set the agenda for further development work. "Learning Outcomes: Towards a Synthesis of Progress" (Peter Lavender) provides a summary of recent efforts to identify, record, and value learning that does not lead to qualifications.…

This booklet was developed to help Washington State principals meet their school-improvement strategies. It is intended as an information resource and is divided into five sections. Section 1, "Learning," provides an overview of Washington's school-improvement strategy. It focuses on standards, specifically the Essential Academic…

This guide is intended to help parents understand standards and the reasoning behind the standards movement. The booklet is part of the "Council for Basic Education Standards for Excellence in Education" project, a multiyear effort to provide parents, educators, and the general public with a better understanding of how standards are used to…

The goal of these Colorado state economics content standards is for students, by the time they graduate from high school, to understand economics well enough to make good judgments about personal economic questions and about economic policy in a complex and changing world. Students need an understanding of basic economic concepts to become…

Alternative schools are defined in this report as schools or programs targeting students who are unsuccessful in the traditional school environment. These schools often see their mission as one of dropout prevention. Certain features are usually associated with alternative schools, including a clear mission, a small enrollment, a more personal…

With the publication by professional organizations of national academic standards in mathematics and science, a clear set of goals and guidelines for achieving literacy in mathematics and science has been established. This document was developed to help state- and district-level education leaders create coherent, multi-year curriculum programs…

Educational institutions, families, and communities are not meeting the educational needs of more than 50 percent of the students enrolled in public and private schools in the United States. In 1997, only 43 percent of high school seniors reported themselves to be in demanding "academic" programs, compared with 45 percent in…

Recently there has been significant emphasis on changing teacher preparation programs to ensure that new teachers are prepared to use technology in the classroom. There are several illustrations of this increased attention across the nation, including: the U.S. Department of Education's "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers" program; the…

This paper contains proposed state exiting standards for the Idaho K-12 public school system. All schools are to deliver a core of instruction and advisement programs for each student. Students are to meet locally established standards (at a minimum, the state standards), which can be assessed by challenging examinations, demonstrations of…

In this lesson, student teams research one of the species of early humans. Teams will create presentations that include information on physical traits, habitat, era, means of survival, culture, and relationship to modern humans. Students are provided with background information, detailed instructions, on-line resources, and reflection questions.…