Discusses ISTE/NCATE (International Society for Technology in Education/National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education) computer/technology standards for preservice teachers; summarizes survey results on the use of technology to teach education majors at Arizona State University; and proposes a team approach to faculty preparation for…

Discusses the effects of mastery learning and criterion-referenced grading schemes on student memory and motivation to succeed. Indicates that such programs are effective in college level developmental education programs. Provides suggestions for establishing criterion-referenced grading schemes, including several variants of mastery grading…

Describes the arrangements in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and Boston, Massachusetts, with the Edison Project. In this public-private partnership, Edison will be responsible for curriculum, facilities management, professional development, personnel, and food service. Cites other school districts considering having Edison schools. A sidebar summarizes…

This paper examines trends in mathematics assessment for students with mild disabilities, with emphasis on implications of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards. Results of two studies are reported, one reviewing current mathematics assessment procedures in special education, and the other comparing the Key Math-Revised measure…

A new program at Mercy College (New York) links faculty salaries to student enrollment and is designed to help the college through a financial crisis. Supporters see the policy as making good business sense, and faculty are finding ways to encourage students to enroll and persist. Critics feel the policy will encourage faculty to give higher…

This article considers issues concerning assessment of students with special needs at Key Stages 1 and 3 of the British National Curriculum. These include timing and administration of assessments, teacher training, special adaptations to the assessments, special arrangements, recording and reporting, and exceptions. (DB)

Educational institutions can adapt the total quality approach by viewing their service as a product, considering users' criteria for judging quality, and fostering the commitment of the academic community to maintenance and improvement of standards. (SK)

Guidelines for creating competency statements for competency-based dental education are offered. They include steps and considerations in defining competency, gaining and organizing information gained from experts, and formatting statements efficiently and clearly. A glossary explains significant terms common in competency-based education and…

Describes a principal's elimination of low-track classes in a suburban New York high school. Non-Regents sections in all subjects other than math were abolished, and students were integrated into regular classes that take fairly rigorous, year-end Regents exams. As graduation neared, most "de-tracked" seniors had passed these exams; some…

A state takeover of a troubled school system is a drastic intervention but one that can bring about broad-based reform. After the state of New Jersey began operating the Paterson School District, the new leadership prepared a detailed plan for reform and assessed schools' effectiveness. A sidebar points out that 20 states have provisions that…

The new Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I) measures high-level reasoning in verbal and mathematical domains not tied to any particular instructional experiences, providing an alternative way of demonstrating scholastic ability that may not be reflected in grades. The relationship of College Board testing programs to possible national content…

The superintendent claims an advanced placement (AP) European history course was eliminated and an AP course in comparative government was added to provide a little more coherence, not to create a multicultural approach. A parents' committee claims they formed over the issue of academic rigor, not multiculturalism. (MLF)

Examines recent standardized test scores, international comparisons, National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, and dropout statistics to prove that U.S. schools are making progress. When appropriate comparisons are made, only a small decline in SAT verbal scores is found and no decline in math scores. Greater priority should be given the…

Britain's 1992 Education Bill closely follows the 1992 "Choice and Diversity" White Paper's advocacy of "grant-maintained" (self-governing) status for schools. These decentralization measures may prove simplistic and ineffective, because the White Paper identifies no school evaluation criteria other than popularity with parents…

After the Kentucky Supreme Court declared Kentucky's educational system unconstitutional, the state launched a unique, comprehensive restructuring effort. Top-down state education department reforms include development of world-class curriculum standards, a statewide authentic assessment system, and a school accountability system linking sanctions…