This curriculum framework is intended to serve as a comprehensive guide for redesigning curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development around the new Colorado state model of content standards for K-12 geography education. The framework enumerates strategies and ideas for implementing the new standards at the district, school,…

This report discusses the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that require states to develop alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot participate in large-scale assessment programs. The report also profiles five state alternate assessment practices that have been developed or are emerging and…

At the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the call for all students to be "proficient" in reading and mathematics by 2014. Yet the law expects each state to define proficiency as it sees fit and design its own tests. This study investigated three research questions related to this policy: (1) How consistent are various…

In 1990, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) included a Trial State Assessment (TSA); for the first time in the NAEP's history, voluntary state-by-state assessments were made. The sample was designed to represent the 8th grade public school population in a state or territory. In 1996, 44 states, the District of Columbia, Guam,…

Since September 1995, the Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico-Rural Systemic Initiative (UCAN-RSI) has promoted systemic reform to improve science, technology, and mathematics education for all rural students in its states. Initially, UCAN targeted 159,000 students in over 430 rural, primarily American Indian or Hispanic, communities. These…

A range of factors has impinged on the provision of teacher education programs in the last decade. Largely emanating from governmental demands for increased accountability, these have included the setting of standards for student achievement, proof of program impact, and state and national testing. These legislative reforms and school district…

The experiences of 10 states described in this paper illustrate how higher education can be a constructive force for change in the schools, and how the changes taking place in school-based curriculum and assessment provide valuable lessons for collegiate reform. The 10 states profiled are California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New…

An overview of the nature, benefits, and steps involved in Colorado's Guaranteed Graduate Program, a process that assures that high school graduates have the knowledge and skills considered essential for entry into employment and postsecondary education, begins this document. A discussion of the portfolio process follows, along with descriptions…

This document contains materials describing outcomes and proficiencies for grades 4, 8, and 12. The materials are to be used by Colorado school districts in developing a standards- and outcomes-based approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The outcomes and proficiencies considered bridge traditional departmentalized curriculum and the…

As part of an effort to chart the path of vocational education in Colorado, the Colorado Vocational Association (CVA) assembled 55 vocational educators, administrators, and business and industry leaders to review the status of vocational education in the state and develop a series of statements to establish standards and provide direction for the…

The Office of Educational Research and Improvement funded nine projects exploring whether partnerships could help improve teacher education and induction. It created consortia of state education agencies, state agencies of higher education, teacher education colleges, and local school districts to collaborate on improving teacher education and…

This manual explains how to foster contextual learning and curriculum integration. There are 12 sections: "Contextual Learning"; "Connecting Academic Standards with Contextual Learning"; "Using Career Development to Add Context and Relevancy to the Classroom"; "Curriculum Integration"; "Guidelines for…

Policies of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education on the outreach program for adult students are outlined, along with procedures to be followed by participating institutions. The program encompasses both noncredit and credit instruction at all levels and may be offered on- or off-campus in traditional or nontraditional formats and time…

This standards review is the first in a series of annual reviews of the Colorado Model Content Standards. Its purpose is to identify student performance over time on measures of exiting mathematics standards, identify ways to affirm and strengthen standards and more clearly articulate the practices used by Colorado schools to promote student…

This resource guide contains learning activities designed to complement existing ABE curricula or become the cornerstone of an ABE curriculum integrating reading, writing, and math skills with practical life knowledge. The guide begins with an introduction, acknowledgments, and an overview of Colorado's Certificate of Accomplishment program, which…