On April 5, 2002, the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) entered into a compliance agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to bring the state into compliance with the provisions of the following federal laws: Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1994, P.L. 103-382 and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)…

Education policymakers agree that the principal plays a key role in creating the high-performing schools that the public demands today. There is a growing concern, however, that the supply of quality candidates may not meet the increasing demand for new principals caused by retirements among the current ranks combined with new school openings.…

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) partnered with Andrew Porter and John Smithson of Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) to develop an advanced, in depth approach to collecting and reporting data on the "enacted curriculum" in K-12 math and science, i.e. the actual subject content and instructional practices experienced…

Contemporary theories about the nature of modern bourgeois culture are reviewed briefly, and the contradictions of that culture are stressed. Christopher Lasch's criticisms of American schools in "The Culture of Narcissism" fail to recognize that self-liberating practices may stimulate intellectual growth. (PP)

In the past, the absence of performance standards for which teachers and teacher education institutions could be held accountable has helped protect teacher colleges from malpractice charges. As research identifies correlates between teacher behavior and student achievement, however, institutions which fail to teach minimum competencies may become…

In an interview, Barbara Koppman, a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and curriculum writer, expresses her opinions on professional standards, teacher morale, teacher evaluation, the use of master teachers, professional organizations for teachers, teacher image in the media, and the school's role in solving social problems. (JN)

The Italian educational system's experiences with national examinations might help United States educators understand the impact of state tests on students, schools, and education in general. (JT)

Reports on the system by which Nigerian journalism students must qualify to receive their degrees. (RL)

The controversy over minimum competency testing (MCT) is multi-faceted and it is the Local Education Agency (LEA) which will bear the burden of the MCT movement. Among the concerns of the LEAs are the means of assessment, the content of tests, and the curricular implications of MCT. (RLV)

Reviews problems with the current movement to use national standards and performance assessment to reform education and the impact of the standards on students with disabilities. The characteristics of standards, as they are currently being employed, are discussed, along with issues related to measurement, reliability, and validity. (Author/CR)

This introductory article discusses the field of mathematics education for students with learning disabilities, from 1950 to the present. Topics addressed include different perspectives on mathematics learning disabilities, student assessment, mathematics programming, and teacher preparation. The mathematics standards endorsed by the National…

This article identifies the promises of standards-based reform and the mechanisms that were supported to ensure that these promises were fulfilled. It addresses ways in which adjustments are being made to ensure that standards-based reform for all students really means all students, including students with disabilities. Next steps are discussed.…

This article defines academic standards; compares content, performance, and delivery standards; and summarizes standards-setting activities currently underway with examples given from mathematics and science. It considers how and why these efforts are likely to affect all educators, including special educators, and all students with and without…

The literature shows a strong connection between education standards and economic development, but the mechanisms are many and complex. Four human capital development approaches are available: redesigning and rebuilding the foundation (scrapping the back-to-basics approach); stressing applications skills required by high-performance organizations;…

This article examines constructivism in terms of the learner, the content, teacher-student interactions, motivation, and assessment; evaluates mathematics standards and their sensitivity to students with mild/moderate disabilities; and identifies 19 instructional components derived from constructivism, focusing on teacher behaviors, teacher…