This analysis of secondary-postsecondary alignment issues suggests some clear directions that campus, system, and state policy leaders must take to improve the success of students in the educational pipeline. These efforts will be more successful if they take place as part of broader K-16 initiatives--efforts that include early outreach to high…

In February 2005, Achieve and the National Governors Association sponsored a National Education Summit on High Schools at which governors from 45 states, business leaders and education officials addressed the preparation gap that leaves many high school graduates unprepared for success in college and the workplace. The Summit helped focus the…

As educators work to address the challenge of students meeting state standards, alignment of what is tested with what is taught has been identified as a key to successful improvement efforts. This research brief focuses on what research and best practices say about improving alignment between state assessments and district and school curricula. It…

This document presents the Pennsylvania Early Childhood Learning Continuum Indicators, the developmental steps that a learner performs to demonstrate knowledge as stated in the state's Academic Standards. The indicators are not academic standards themselves, but focus on preschool through Grade 2 skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening,…

This guide to Utah's requirements for students in secondary visual arts is organized and based upon a student achievement portfolio for each course. Foundation I, the required junior high/middle school visual arts course, is designed to provide an overview of visual arts while studying various art tools and materials. With an emphasis on studio…

In this California state curriculum model for grade 1, "A Child's Place in Time and Space," students study the life, work, and philosophy of Cesar Chavez. The students learn how he worked to resolve problems peacefully. They discover how his cultural experiences influenced his politics, family life, education, philosophy, recreational…

In this California state curriculum model for grade 2, "People Who Make a Difference," students study Cesar Chavez. The students learn about his role in improving the lives of farm workers. They also learn about Chavez as a family man, about the role religion played in his life, and about his role as an organizer, as a labor leader, and…

In this California state curriculum model for grade 3, "Continuity and Change," students study Cesar Chavez. The students learn about his relationship with immigrants, about his work with Fred Ross, and about his work in his own community. Students explore his work as a civil rights leader and labor organizer and the connection between…

In this California state curriculum model for grade 4, "California: A Changing State," students study the history and development of California from earliest times to the present. The curriculum emphasizes the role of immigration, the development of California's economy, agriculture and infrastructure, its geography and the contributions…

In this California state curriculum model for grade 12, "Principles of American Democracy," students study the life of Cesar E. Chavez. The students observe the direct relationship between his work and political philosophy and the U.S. political and legal system. Students examine how Chavez's ideas and actions are a blueprint for active…

In the state of Tennessee, four courses are required for high school graduation: U.S. history, U.S. government; economics, and either world geography or world history. This document contains extensive information about the following courses: U.S. history; world history; world geography; economics; U.S. government; psychology; and sociology. For…

These Connecticut Curriculum Trace Maps are designed to help curriculum developers and teachers translate Connecticut's K-12 history and social studies performance standards into objectives and classroom practice. The Trace Maps provide detailed descriptions of what students should know and be able to do at smaller grade level clusters, K-2, 3-4,…

The goal of the Wisconsin "Model Academic Standards for Social Studies" is to design a social studies program that develops knowledgeable, active citizens who are able to recognize, analyze, and act on personal and public problems or decisions that affect the well-being of an individual, group, a nation, or the world. Following an…

The primary purpose of this Mississippi social studies framework is to promote an understanding of the world, human interaction, cultural diversity, and cultural heritage and to equip students with the knowledge and understanding of the past, which is essential for coping with the present and planning for the future. The framework states that the…

This book for teachers and administrators demonstrates how implementing contextual teaching and learning (CTL) at all levels can change students' lives and help them realize their full potential and achieve academic excellence. CTL is based on the philosophy that students learn when they see meaning in academic material, and they see meaning in…