Discusses studies showing that, contrary to the view overwhelmingly supported by research of over a decade and a half, some urban schools, through principal leadership, high teacher expectations, and rigorous academic programs, are able to raise the achievement of low-income students. (CMG)

A survey designed to investigate the causes of declining levels of student achievement indicated that (1) there has been an over-use of objective testing, (2) grade inflation is a serious problem, and (3) community colleges may have over-emphasized accommodation of unprepared students and under-emphasized cognitive learning. Recommendations to…

This document contains resolution text adopted by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in July 1998 regarding Redesigning Low-Performing Schools. A Question & Answer section follows the resolution, addressing the following issues: (1) Union support for redesign or closure of low-performing schools; (2) Indicators of low-performing schools…

Today, school districts cannot meet the challenges of an increasingly demanding and diverse clientele without an efficient and effective business and financial framework within which to operate. Well-prepared and dedicated school business officials, working in tandem with other members of the administrative team, can better assure that such a…

Current testing standards call for test developers to provide evidence that testing procedures and test scores, and the inferences made based on the test scores, show evidence of validity and are comparable across subpopulations (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], & National Council on…

In this paper, the author questions whether the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) achieves its stated purpose: to raise standards of academic achievement. Deeper understanding, subtlety of thought, creativity, critical thinking, perseverance, leadership and sensibility about self and the world cannot be measured by multiple-choice technology. The…

In this chapter the authors' primary aim is to describe the general workings of the system of adult literacy and learning as it exists in the United Kingdom today. To better illuminate that system, they take a little time delving into its past--that is, showing how it arrived at its current state of operation. A secondary aim is to compare and…

The term "numeracy" is used in the adult education community to include an array of mathematically related proficiencies that are evident in adults' lives and worthy of attention in adult education settings. This occasional paper attempts to describe the complex nature of numeracy as it exists today. All stakeholders--including policymakers,…

Even a cursory review of the literature on secondary school reform makes a compelling case for why Iowa's secondary schools need to change. Experts agree that all youth will need to leave high school capable of taking advantage of post-secondary educational opportunities if they are to expect "economic success--even survival--in an economy…

The American Diploma Project, an influential consortium that includes Achieve, Inc., The Education Trust, and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation believes that expectations about what youngsters learn in high school must be raised dramatically. According to the group, "the diploma has lost its value because what it takes to earn one is disconnected…

Educators often overlook the largest body of evidence of student performance: student work. With careful and deliberate examination of various sources of student work, teachers can gather a wealth of information about student achievement and about their own instructional practices. Examining student work is not about grading or scoring papers. It…

Middle school students consolidate their understanding of integers and rational numbers, increasing their facility with fractions, decimals, and percents and encountering proportionality. This book shows how students can explore these important ideas in such diverse activities as exchanging currency and using area models to develop algorithms for…

The College of the Canyons in California has responded to recent growth in the institution and the community it serves by developing new programs and services, adding additional facilities, hiring new personnel, expanding in new directions and developing new initiatives. Enrollment at the college has increased from 6,882 in fall 1996 to 12,726 in…

This document presents Nevada's standards for K-12 technology education. The first section provides guidelines for grades K-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12 for the following content standards: (1) students will utilize problem-solving processes through the use of resources to reach a desired outcome; (2) students use appropriate productivity tools…

This paper focuses on the discussion of community colleges as baccalaureate-degree granting institutions. The discussion is based on research projects undertaken in both the U.S. and Canada that investigate the institutionalization of degree programs at community colleges. Colleges in British Columbia and Alberta are baccalaureate as well as…