This report to the Nevada State Legislature examines policies related to graduation for students with disabilities and the state testing process. An introductory section notes relevant federal and Nevada legislation and regulations. The next section reviews current statutory, regulatory, and administrative requirements regarding Nevada state…

E-Learning systems that produce personalized course offerings for the learner are often expensive, both from a time and financial perspective, to develop and maintain. Learning content personalized to a learners' cognitive preferences has been shown to produce more effective learning, however many approaches to realizing this form of…

The entrenched nature of affirmative action, immigration, and bilingual education programs shows that ethnic minorities as well as powerful economic interests can benefit from client politics (H. D. Graham, 2002). In recent years, ballot initiatives have pierced the cocoon of legislative support for these policies and overturned them in California…

This paper evaluates the usefulness of a sociocultural approach for analyzing teachers' responses to the professional learning demands of standards-based reform policies. A policy-oriented case study of the practice of six elementary teachers who worked in two high-poverty schools in a demographically changing district in the state of Washington…

This report reviews the current status, empirical findings, theoretical issues, and practical considerations related to state-level minimum competency testing programs. It finds that, although two-thirds of current testing programs now use direct writing prompts to assess writing achievement, essentially all programs rely on multiple choice tests…

This paper discusses the value of action research in professional learning, presenting political and practical questions from the work of a primary school teacher who conducted action research on literacy with at-risk students and an intermediate school teacher, now a program officer at the Ontario College of Teachers who is helping create…

This study examined cognitive coaching conferences between 1994 and 1997 as teachers practiced their coaching skills. Participants were part of a 3-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The cognitive coaching process was used to provide teachers with support in implementing content standards. Coaches participating in the study…

In June 1998, California started an evaluation of standards-based accountability. The evaluation focused on the status and impact of local accountability systems, content standards, assessment measures, use of data, consequences and incentives, and assistance in school districts across the state. In the course of the study, the California…

A qualitative study was undertaken to create lesson plans that integrate science and social studies with the hope that teachers will expand them and incorporate them into their curricula. An instructional package of lesson plans that teachers can use to integrate the science and social studies curriculum was devised. The "Mississippi State…

These curricular standards for music education in Kansas were created to inspire all students and teachers to press toward excellence and creative confidence in music to become independent, wise, and humane individuals throughout their lives. The purpose of the Kansas Music Education Standards is: to strengthen music education in Kansas; bring…

This primary source kit supports the study of history in the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each primary source selected for the kit, whether it be a photograph, a broadside, a map, or a private letter, reflects a meaningful part of Maryland and U.S. history. The kit provides educators with an opportunity to use primary documents from…

States are implementing standards-based reforms because of past failures to produce educational environments that ensure high academic achievement. The development of state standards, the availability of related curriculum documents, assessing student achievement, and institutional accountability measures have been some of the most effective…

The seven papers in this monograph focus on defining and assessing quality. The paper are: (1) "Reflections on Design Ideals" (E. Grady Bogue), which addresses some "governing ideals" of collegiate quality; (2) "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Investment and Quality in Higher Education" (Sven Groennings), which sees…

This document outlines standards for distance library education programs in India. Objectives and standards are described for each of the following elements: curriculum design; eligibility criteria; admission/selection procedure; student intake and class size; duration; measure of a course/program; learning resources; student support services;…

This paper evolved from a conference panel presentation on the preparation of prospective high school history teachers. The four papers excerpted here are entitled: "Using History Departments to Prepare Secondary Social Studies Teachers: A Challenge for the Profession in the 21st Century" (Donald Schwartz); "Why and How Should History Departments…