The last several years have seen a growing resolve among educators and policymakers to assure the place of a solid arts education in U.S. schools. In 1997, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) conducted a national assessment in the arts at grade 8. The assessment included the areas of music, theater, and visual arts. For each of…

Based on the belief that all children have a right to quality care and education, early childhood best practices, and trained staff/providers, this guide details quality standards for early care and education programs in West Virginia, developed through the Early Education Quality Improvement Project (EQUIP). The standards are voluntary and not…

This digest provides a basic introduction to the national standards in foreign language learning, essentially a set of content standards that define what students should know and be able to do in foreign language instruction in a K-12 sequence. First, background on the development of the standards is provided, and a description of the standards'…

This report details efforts that states in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) region have made to reach educational benchmarks for the year 2000. It focuses on readiness-for-school initiatives, such as preschool programs, and how schools in the SREB are advancing in this area. The report looks at student achievement, assessment of…

This book offers a blueprint to help schools and students achieve high standards. It provides school leaders with action strategies for beginning or revisiting their reform efforts; each chapter reviews research on areas related to each of the eight Goals 2000. The introduction focuses on school reform over the past 50 years and the changes that…

As part of the school reform legislation of 1985, the Illinois State Board of Education established State Goals for Learning in six fundamental learning areas: language arts, mathematics, science, social science, fine arts, and physical development and health. The next step is to develop standards that will more clearly define the knowledge and…

This brief presents the case for the reform of assessment systems as an essential component of systemic reform. The scope includes ways to share conceptual understanding among all stakeholders in the educational system, ways to evaluate the impact of systemic reforms in terms of student attainment of relevant goals, and ideas on how assessment can…

This booklet examines performance-based education accountability systems in the United States. It defines the four components of these accountability systems--standards and assessments, multiple indicators, rewards, and sanctions--and discusses which ones are found in each state and whether or not they appear in law or regulation. All four…

Recent literature on Professional Development Schools (PDSs) emphasizes outcomes, accountability, and sustainability. This paper addresses themes that influence PDS sustainability, describing the University of South Florida's (USF) examination of three PDS sites, which led to questioning of the impact of leadership transitions on PDS…

The Brooks Educational Quality Indicators project tested the premise that quality education in Brooks (Alberta) results from the right blend of attention to academics and developing character within a firm set of behavioral demands. The first stage of the study included data collection on district perceptions from teachers, staff, administrators,…

This report discusses findings of a study of two issues during the 1989-90 academic year at the United States Naval Academy: the removal of the Chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department, and the Superintendent's decision to give a final electrical engineering examination that might have been compromised. The study reviewed the effect of…

Strong enrollments in career programs have led many to conclude that occupational training is, and should be, the premier function of a community college--a belief that is supported by the ways in which community colleges are funded. Though strong technical programs are an important part of what urban community colleges offer to their students,…

Designed to survey the effects of the current probation policy at Shasta College, this report estimates the student loss attributable to the policy and discusses means of identifying potential probationary students. After introducing the probation policy, which requires at least a 2.0 grade point average to avoid academic probation and the…

Perspectives on secondary school preparation and college admissions, and specifically admissions to selective colleges, are provided. According to a 1977 Stanford University document (which is briefly summarized but not appended), there is considerable variation in the number of solid academic courses taken by high school students, and capable…

Developments in higher education over the past decade that threaten excellence in education are discussed by a dean of students at the University of Chicago. There has been a tendency to view the chief purpose of all higher education institutions as preparing students for jobs, or for community service, or for some particular societal need.…