Explains how to develop lesson plans to help students become effective researchers using electronic searching tools. Uses a unit developed for Kansas landmarks to discuss information skills, competency standards, inquiry, technology use, information literacy and process skills, finding information, and an example of a research log. (LRW)

Discusses federal educational policies for educational reform and improvement based on standards, student assessment, and accountability. Topics include the No Child Left Behind initiative; standardized tests; the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; the role of learning technologies; distributed learning; infrastructures for learning…

Critiques the 1994 curriculum standards by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), "Expectation of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies," stating that there is a need for revised standards. Focuses on three main criticisms of the NCSS social studies standards. (CMK)

Describes how changes in Indiana's licensure have affected one university's elementary education department, focusing on: the change to performance-based standards and assessment; performance assessment using exit portfolios; and lessons learned. The goal is to bring the program in line with the new Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support…

Discusses how child-centered educational philosophies, including Montessori, share positions differing radically from those of the educational standards movement. Focuses on adult-set goals and standards, social promotion, external motivators, demands for more challenging work, and standardized tests. Reports that children in child-centered…

Reviews a recommendation that all entrants into English and Welsh primary initial teacher training should possess a science GCSE pass. Identifies potential problems related to recruitment and adequate time allotted for the curriculum. (DDR)

Describes the implementation of a student portfolio requirement at Boulder Canyon High School (Arizona) in 1999 as part of a focus on continual student improvement. Advocates the use of portfolios as a way to show incremental gains in academic areas and as a tool for encouraging student ownership in their own personal growth and improvement. (KP)

This article summarizes concerns expressed at the SENCo-Forum about the stress that the Key Stage 1 Standard Assessment Tasks procedures place on children with special needs. Concerns include effects on student confidence, forcing teachers into roles that run counter to their educational ethos, and the time given to test preparation. (CR)

Notes that summer school has been affected by current curricular reform and high stakes testing. Describes an innovative summer school program, created through transformational teacher leadership, that developed a new vision for integrated curriculum--one that revolved around rebuilding a boat. Presents implications for both an integrated academic…

Discussion of problems in documenting student performance and progress focuses on middle-secondary subject matter, the state standards that are fundamental to most large-scale assessment systems, and curriculum text structures that limit the type of learning that can be documented. It suggests critical thinking measures as an alternative procedure…

Discusses forces behind the pressure for teacher educators to comply with California's State Bill 2042 (which emphasizes standards and accountability for teacher education), examining the role of the Business Roundtable (BRT) in education reform and noting why corporations should instill this form of accountability. The BRT proposes nine essential…

Addresses the United Kingdom government's control both of curriculum and instruction, elementary teachers' loss of their ability to control instructional time, and the effects of school inspections and national testing on teachers' morale. Argues that content standards, instruction, and assessment must be developed by teachers and government…

This article argues that standardized tests mandated by No Child Left Behind Act will not produce improved learning opportunities and outcomes. It offers three recommendations for changing educational practices and the law: Districts and states must emphasize assessment for learning; districts should implement new forms of accountability; people…

Discusses efforts by a number of states to comply with the standards and accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Focuses on the challenges and costs of creating new tests and presents the timeline through 2014 for compliance. (Contains 11 online resources.) (WFA)

Presents the core requirements for teachers of English in Israel, which outline the core knowledge and performance that graduates and practicing teachers should shave mastered. These requirements are divided into five domains, and each of the domains includes standards. Both knowledge and performance benchmarks are defined for each standard.…