This update provides information about statewide writing assessment administration procedures in Nebraska and statewide assessment reporting, and contains a review of model assessments. The information is intended to assist local educators in planning and preparing for the Statewide Writing Assessment in February 2001 and the reporting of local…

This document presents four research-based papers that were the catalyst for discussions at the first Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning diversity roundtable in 1998. The goals established for this roundtable included: building participants' capacity for working with diverse populations; providing a catalyst for participants to…

This issue describes the ongoing commitment of Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) to improve the quality of educational policy and practice in the mid-continent region and the U.S. as a whole. Four priority needs areas have been identified and will be the focus of McREL efforts for the next 5 years: (1) failure to support…

This book explains the range of assessment techniques that monitor learning effectively. It provides step-by-step procedures for a standards-based approach to classroom assessment and strategies for aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Examples show how to implement each form of assessment. The chapters are: (1) "An Overview of…

This CD-ROM is designed to spark the interest of students with science activities and demonstrations similar to "Jake's Attic" and "Mr. Wizard." This first volume of the "Whelmers" collection engages students in science process thinking. The activities are meant to "whelm" the students, not overwhelm them.…

This paper describes the District of Columbia Public School System (DCPS); articulates challenges it faced prior to standards based reform; presents strategies for reforming large urban systems' health and physical education (HPE) programs; and notes strategies for incorporating a standards-based performance-driven model. DCPS reading and math…

An effort to build a curricular framework for doctoral study at the University of Texas-Pan American, using themes and standards proposed by the Council of Chief State School Officers and others, is described. A small faculty group undertook to simultaneously develop a curricular sequence of course topics while initiating a new doctoral program…

This booklet provides basic information and guidelines to rural New York school districts competing for grants or other competitive funding. Section 1 examines new realities in the education landscape: the demand for higher academic standards, requirements for increased accountability, the call for systemic change, the need to integrate and align…

Although all of public education prepares students for the responsibilities of citizenship, the goal of providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to assume their roles as leaders in the state of Texas and in the nation in the 21st century rests primarily with the social studies. This framework provides information that local…

The social studies standards for Arizona's students outlined in this guidebook include a study of the diverse contributions people of many backgrounds have made to U.S. life and institutions, and emphasize a shared heritage for citizens and residents of the United States. The standards require that students acquire both core knowledge and a firm…

Academic standards listed in this guide are based upon national standards as well as a discipline-based art education approach. They are presented and articulated for each grade level from kindergarten through grade 8. They are presented by course or art medium in grades 9-12 to represent the organization of most high school art courses. The guide…

In classrooms across America, academic standards are being raised. This brochure is intended to help parents understand the importance of higher academic standards and to provide questions that parents can ask teachers and administrators to learn what they need to know about the expectations at their children's school. The brochure first defines…

In classrooms across America, academic standards are being raised. This brochure is intended to help parents understand the importance of higher academic standards and to provide questions that parents can ask teachers and administrators to learn what they need to know about the expectations at their children's school. The brochure first defines…

In 1951 Robert Russa Moton High School in Prince Edward County, Virginia was typical of the all-black schools in the central Virginia county. It housed twice as many students as it was built for in 1939, its teachers were paid less than teachers at the all-white high school, and it had no gymnasium, cafeteria, or auditorium with fixed seats. In…

Consisting of four articles taken from the "Minneapolis Star Tribune" with 10 questions for each article, this Practice Test gives an answer sheet and an answer key (including specification to the type of question either Literal Comprehension or Inferential Comprehension). These practice tests are not intended to be psychometrically…