Teachers in this study participated in a 3-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education Fund for Innovation in Education. The purpose of the grant was to provide teachers with support in implementing standards-based education. Both treatment and control groups of teachers received instruction in implementing standards-based education from…

This paper suggests that when engaged in project work, children apply most of the skills identified in the age-appropriate state learning standards. To illustrate how good-quality project work addresses the Illinois state learning standards, this paper describes a project conducted by a second-grade class on their community--Grafton, Illinois. The…

Assessment is more than simply ascribing an 'A' or a 'B' to a particular student achievement. In an era of state-mandated proficiencies and alternative assessment strategies, educators need practical ideas they can use to meaningfully assess their students' learning and their own practice. This issue of "ENC Focus" centers on the topic…

The Victorian school accountability framework is designed specifically for Victorian public schooling in the 1990s. These schools have three chief characteristics: (1) a high level of school autonomy in operational decisions about research allocation, human-resource management, and staff selection; (2) a common framework for curriculum and…

Most research on school effectiveness has focused solely on academic outcomes among pupils. In standardized educational systems, academic outcomes tend to be measured in terms of examination results. In other systems, outcomes are measured in terms of standardized ability test scores. Studies that focus on both academic and nonacademic outcomes…

This guide describes what states can do to support and encourage the fundamental restructuring of the education of young adolescents in the middle grades. Its framework is based on the eight principles for restructuring middle grade education developed in "Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century," prepared by the…

Noting that knowledge of history is the precondition of political intelligence, Nevada's academic standards for history are intended to provide the framework for a comprehensive K-12 history education to prepare students for the responsibilities and challenges of life in the 21st century. It is imperative in today's global economy for Nevada…

This publication reports on the status of public education in Alaska and provides policymakers with information for decision making. Under state law, each school district is required to report to its community information about the school district's plans and performance. This publication is a summary of those reports. Data are organized around…

The Colorado Model Content Standards for History address both U.S. and world history, including the history of the Americas, and may well necessitate reorganization of the social studies. The standards guide explains, that because of the increasing interactions among all nations of the world and the effects of these interactions on individuals'…

A sample of five performance tasks developed to assess student progress toward meeting the content standards are given in this continuation of the social studies framework for the state of Delaware. The sample tasks provide teachers with insight into the types of performances and applications of knowledge that should be expected of students at…

New approaches to teaching and learning are common, but nothing will change unless these ideas are brought to the frontlines of the classroom. Facing the challenge to incorporate varied innovative teaching and learning strategies, set statewide and schoolwide goals, and implement standards, schools need a systematic, consistent framework and high…

This second annual report on public K-12 education in Rhode Island focuses on fourth graders, an age group that represents the most vulnerable portion of the school population. As the percentage of proficient fourth graders increases, the secondary schools will find it easier to raise their levels of proficiency. Rhode Island administers a School…

The Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) has been underway since 1997. Since then, fourth grade students have been assessed annually on the Colorado Model Content Standards for Reading and Writing. In 1998, testing began on third grade reading. Over the course of time, other grades and subject areas will be phased in. In the spring of 2000,…

This publication provides a general description, in question-and-answer format, of the 1999 Utah Statewide Testing Program. Under this program, norm-referenced achievement tests are administered to Utah students in grades 5, 8, and 11 under a legislative mandate. The newest edition of the Stanford Achievement Tests, the Stanford 9, was chosen as…

This Wisconsin academic standards guide for art and design explains what is meant by academic standards. The guide declares that academic standards specify what students should know and be able to do; what students might be asked to do to give evidence of standards; how well students must perform; and that content, performance, and proficiency…