As part of Louisiana's efforts to expand and improve the quality of its early childhood programs, a committee of educators from across the state collaborated to develop standards for programs serving 4-year-olds. This guide presents program standards to assist the ongoing development, evaluation, and improvement of early childhood center-based…

This paper situates the notion of foreign language (FL) standards within a larger culture of standardization grounded in (1) the context of FL education, (2) the larger political and educational context of standards based reform and standardized assessment, and (3) the pervasive linguistic culture and ideology associated with the notion of…

This guide is designed to assist Florida teachers helping students achieve the Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma. To meet the needs of students with disabilities more effectively and to align with the intent of the Sunshine State Standards and the Florida System of School Improvement and Accountability, the Student Performance Standards…

The Tennessee social studies state standards present a vision of every child matriculating into a civic-minded citizen armed with the six content (culture; economics; geography; government and civics; history; and individuals, groups, and interactions) and four process standards of knowledge (communication; data analysis; historical awareness; and…

In recent years, the Boston Public Schools have generated many successful changes in practice and produced significant improvements in student results, focusing on the improvement of teaching and learning to enable all students to achieve high standards of performance. Steps supporting standards-based reform were taken in the areas of teaching and…

The School BUS (bottom-up simple) model for school accountability uses local standards-based assessment data to improve schoolwide performance during the year, and from year to year. This system derives its ideas from abundant professional literature about successful school renewal. A local accountability process should link changes in school…

These Connecticut Curriculum Trace Maps for music are designed to help curriculum developers and teachers translate Connecticut's K-12 performance standards into objectives and classroom practice. The music Trace Maps provide specific descriptions of what students should know and be able to do at smaller grade level clusters. Connecticut's Trace…

The Connecticut Curriculum Trace Maps for music are designed to help curriculum developers and teachers translate Connecticut's K-12 performance standards into objectives and classroom practice. The Trace Maps provide specific descriptions of what students should know and be able to do at smaller grade level clusters. The elements in the Trace…

This study examined how five high-poverty Texas high schools, which had attained notable achievement levels on selected academic indicators, reached their present levels of performance. The schools shared several characteristics: most students were economically disadvantaged; the location was in a large urban district; there was no selective…

This publication presents an introduction,"New Frontiers for a New Century: A National Overview" (Kati Haycock), which announces a new, online, interactive database of national educational records and discusses the importance of making necessary changes in education. This requires that educators, policymakers, and advocates receive solid…

Though the standards derive from a school district's New English Language Arts (ELA) scope and sequence, at least two content areas or disciplines (English and Social Studies) are addressed in this unit of study on Human Rights, and there is ample room for the arts. In particular, the major theoretical framework supporting the unit is Howard…

This book is about the assessment and inclusion of all students, including those with disabilities, in statewide and district assessment programs. It addresses aspects of assessment such as testing practices, test content, legal guidelines, technical aspects of tests, students' learning objectives, and instructional programs. Throughout the book,…

In U.S. history classrooms, teachers have discovered that local history offers students richer content, more enjoyable learning experiences, and unique insight into the national character. Using several social studies and geography standards as a framework for planning, this book offers teachers instructional activities for learning more about the…

Oregon's Education Act for the 21st century sets academic and performance standards for all students statewide. The implementation of statewide standards entails a major change from a time-based to a standards-based educational system, and will require that all students achieve the performance standards for each curricular area. This report to the…

The students in California's classrooms live in a world of diversity. They eat unique foods, wear different types of clothes, live in different types of homes, and speak and hear many languages. This unit focuses on cultures, customs, ceremonies, traditions, foods, clothing, and shelter. These basic universal necessities of life--food, clothing,…