Despite there being significant numbers of state maintained Catholic schools in England, they have until recently proved to be of interest only to a minority of researchers, usually those directly involved in their promotion. New Government initiatives encouraging further diversity in the provision of schools have proved controversial and, in…

Schools of equal educational quality need not be identical, and the recent trend toward increased choice and diversity in American schooling has if anything made the system more equitable for children who previously had no choice but to attend poorly performing schools. That is not to say that all forms of school choice are good public policy:…

More than eleven hundred university students were surveyed to determine attitudes toward learning and accountability. Apathy, absenteeism, and grade inflation emerged as contributing to the lack of student accountability. This article suggests institutional changes to reanimate college classrooms: explicit expectations; smaller, engaged classes;…

Some public schools do a great job educating students of color to high standards. But they populate public education much the way houses in rural regions appear at night from a jetliner passing high above--as faint beacons. The core challenge of school reform today is to produce not merely a few glimmers of success but the dense glow of thousands…

With increasing importance being placed on the development of generic skills in higher education, institutions are espousing, as part of their mission and objectives, which generic skills their graduates achieve, and teachers are being required to document how their courses and programs support the development of those skills and attributes. The…

During the last twenty years, history educators have noted a sea change in the concern expressed by scholars, policymakers, and the general public about the teaching and learning of history in schools. The 1983 report, "A Nation at Risk", was a catalyst for this movement with its focused attention and support for a core curriculum based…

This article describes a pumpkin activity that allows teachers to evaluate their students' understanding of standards-based science skills. This activity is a valuable tool for the teacher to assess all the concepts introduced in the beginning of the life science. It assesses the lab skills that have been taught in the first quarter: observation,…

Spurred on by recent research findings, the popular press has been bombarding the country about the obesity crisis facing our nation. Issues surrounding the obesity problem for children include (a) a reduction of daily physical activity as a result of some schools eliminating recess and physical education; (b) the change in society from farming…

Sports have played an important part in Terry Grier's life, no doubt about it. As a high school student in Fairmont, North Carolina, Grier lettered in four sports. After college, he became a teacher, then a coach, then a high school principal. Eventually he joined the ranks of superintendents, serving districts from Sacramento, California, to…

In 1999, the Governing Board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) appointed a commission to review NAEYC accreditation. Among the commission's recommendations is the goal of making NAEYC accreditation the standard-bearer of program excellence. While NAEYC accreditation is often used to support a claim that a…

A teacher recounts her experiences especially those related to the pressure caused by the need to adhere to the standards and tests as set by the various programs that affect their teaching and welfare of their students. It is important to evaluate the current conditions of the educators and take action to improve the situation.

The No Child Left Behind Act requires the states to test their students every year to determine how many of them have achieved proficiency in, among other areas, math, science, and reading. The law also requires that the states participate yearly in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which calls itself "the Nation's…

This article guides the reader through the actual, step-by-step process of preparing the web-based NASPE/NCATE program report. The following five sections are discussed in detail: (1) contextual information; (2) assessments and related data; (3) standards assessment chart; (4) evidence for meeting standards; and (5) use of assessment results to…

Cyberchase is an animated television series airing on public broadcasting stations throughout the United States. It focuses on mathematics for elementary-level students ages 8-11 and is designed to engage young people with math concepts in a highly stimulating multimedia format. As part of continuing program improvement, a website for parents and…

Changes in laws are reflected--even foreshadowed on occasion--by the field's scholarship. In the 1980s, there were few who recognized that adults with disabilities were an important resource in the education of students with disabilities or that issues of race and culture had consequence for identifying and delivering services to these children.…