This guide to Delaware social studies standards for grades 9-12 is intended to help and support local school districts in their development of a standards-based curriculum. The guide cites four civics standards, providing end of cluster expectations (listing areas which will serve as the basis for student assessment) and performance indicators for…

This paper outlines Standards of Learning for grades 6-12 students in Virginia that are covered when they attend live performances of William Shakespeare's plays. The paper details separate standards for each grade in English, subdivided into standards which fulfill requirements in Oral Language, Reading/Literature, Writing, and Research, along…

This article reports on aspects of an ethnographic study carried out in six newly integrated schools in post-apartheid South Africa. It presents evidence that these schools are sites of struggle between competing discourses that construct, maintain, and change social identities in those communities and the wider society. It suggests that South…

Multimedia computer learning activities, when designed according to what is known about children's preferences, may help close the gender gap in attitudes about computer usage in schools. This paper includes: a brief overview of gender-gap research; a description of one response--the UCI (University of California Irvine) Computer Arts program,…

California was considered a special prize by the United States years before its acquisition. Its harbors opened to East Asian trade, and its fertile valleys beckoned settlers to make the great trek west. In 1845, Captain John C. Fremont took a surveying party into Mexican-held California. Following a war of skirmishes and battles with Mexico, the…

This guide provides a road map for Connecticut school districts as they develop and implement a world languages program appropriate for the 21st century. It describes what students should know and be able to do at various grade levels and stages of language learning. The five chapters include the following: (1) "Introduction" (overview…

In order to understand the impact of New Jersey's standards and assessment policies, this study examined how leaders in six school districts responded to the state's standards and the fourth grade Elementary School Proficiency Assessment, specifically in the area of mathematics. Building on earlier work exploring district responses to testing,…

California State Standard 7.6 is delineated in the following manner: "Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Medieval Europe." Seventh-grade students study the geography of Europe and the Eurasian land mass; describe the spread of Christianity north of the Alps and…

California State Standard 5.5 is delineated as: Students explain the causes of the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War is a great central drama in U.S. history and in the evolution of nationalism and democracy throughout the world. Students should perceive the worldwide impact of the colonies' triumph over British imperial power and its…

This book examines research on the problem of student dropouts and standardized and high stakes testing. Information comes from papers presented at a 2000 workshop in which experts offered their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. Section 1 describes the background and context of the problem, noting changing expectations for students,…

Almost half of Latino students in higher education are enrolled at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). While there is documentation of Latino participation in higher education, there is little research focused on Latino student success. One approach to study Latino student success is to focus on these institutions. This Brief describes the…

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) brought new challenges and opportunities for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). Like many states, Pennsylvania was faced with adding assessments in grades 4, 6 and 7 in reading and mathematics. However, unlike most states, Pennsylvania did not respond to NCLB by simply adding…

The nine-year program of studies for French as a Second Language (FSL) is a legal document that specifies from Grade 4 to 12 what Alberta students are expected to acquire as attitudes and linguistic, cultural, and strategic knowledge as they develop and demonstrate their communicative skills. This document contains an introduction, a rationale,…

This book articulates a process by which schools and districts can design their own standards-based system of education and provides models for implementing standards-based education. Chapter 1 describes the history of and impetus for the standards movement. Chapter 2 addresses such issues as: Where will the standards come from? What type of…

While elementary and secondary educators are pursuing a results orientation as a means of educational reform and pedagogical improvement, the early childhood field has not explored sufficiently the desirability and feasibility of, nor the process for, establishing child-based standards and results for younger children. This report presents a…