This is meant to support states who find they need additional flexibility beyond the three options listed in the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) February 2021 letter to state chiefs. This rationale accompanies the Assessment Flexibility Guidance (ED614803) posted by the Center for Assessment on March 9, 2021. State leaders should select and…

The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) is designed to help school districts and schools conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of physical education curricula for K-12 students. This analysis focuses on how well a curriculum aligns with national standards for physical education. PECAT results can help school districts…

The 1994 National Standards for Arts Education were succeeded by a new generation of standards published in 2014 by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS). This iteration of voluntary standards provided a new foundation for designing curriculum for visual arts education. The design of the standards utilized the curriculum model…

The K-8 Early Implementers Initiative has found that careful planning is critical. With thin planning, unexpected detours or dead ends are likely. However, with solid planning, districts are more likely to achieve their implementation goals and may discover some express lanes for their implementation journey. This evaluation report documents…

More so than ever before, policymakers and the public believe the fate of American public education rests with teachers. Over the last 15 years, study after study points to the powerful effects of qualified teachers and quality teaching on student achievement. However, poor children and those of color are still far less likely to be taught by good…

This document describes science benchmarks for grades K-8 in Earth and Space Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. Each subject area is divided into topics followed by a short content description and grade level information. Source documents for this paper included science content guides from California, Ohio, South Carolina, and South…

Historical thinking skills, according to the U.S. National Standards for History, differ significantly from historical understandings. Historical understandings refer to content-specific knowledge. Historical thinking encompasses the "doing of history," including chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and…

When students think about the obstacles they must overcome to get into a school, most probably are thinking in terms of SATs, ACTs or other entrance exams. However, for students with disabilities, the obstacles they face often are literal ones: manual doors. Accommodating those with disabilities or physical limitations is one reason for schools to…

The National Policy Board for Educational Administration, an umbrella organization of 10 national groups, is focusing on preparation and certification programs for the principalship. Describes the board's activities and cites arguments for professional certification by an independent national board. (15 references) (MLF)

Although school administrators consider supporting and sustaining teachers' professional development a priority, more pressing day-to-day imperatives often eclipse this goal. "Supporting and Sustaining Teachers' Professional Development" specifically targets busy school principals who want practical suggestions for how to balance these everyday…

Written in a reader-friendly style for busy faculty members and school administrators with little or no prior knowledge of statistics, this comprehensive model is designed to create fair, valid, and reliable assessments of teacher knowledge and skills. Evaluation experts Judy Wilkerson and Steve Lang provide detailed guidance for the complete…

This is the first part of a two-part position paper, updating an 1986 position statement, developed by the Illinois Art Education Association for the elementary, middle-level, and secondary schools in the state of Illinois. Part 1, the "Introductory Statement," highlights the contemporary context of educational reform as an opportunity…

This document intends to guide school principals through a process for improving the quality of math and science teaching in schools. The project is guided in part by national standards in mathematics and science which provide a vision for student learning that includes a mastery of the basic fundamentals of the subjects complemented by a…

In their search for new ways to assess their agencies' success in working with children and families, child welfare administrators and senior managers are increasingly seeking regular and reliable sources of information that help them evaluate agency performance, make ongoing decisions, and provide an accurate picture for agency staff and external…

This publication is designed as a tool to assist science curriculum committees and individuals plan a science program. The guide offers methods for a local committee to use when developing the curriculum for their program. The guide embraces Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Science and the National Science Education Standards. A program…