Since its inception, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) blue print has attracted interest from more than 40 states in the United States. The overall objective of these proposed changes is to align K-12 science education with current trends in technology and career needs. However, the assessment of teacher preparedness and classroom…

A Delphi survey was conducted with 30 outdoor education experts in Kansas. Participant responses helped frame a Kansas definition of outdoor education and identified essential educational goals and outcomes, critical components for effective outdoor education programming, and barriers facing outdoor education in Kansas. The study highlights…

It has long been argued that U.S. states' differential performance on nationwide assessments may reflect differences in students' opportunity to learn the tested content that is primarily due to variation in curricular content standards, rather than in instructional quality or educational investment. To quantify the effect of differences in…

Many social studies teachers are nervous about the coming of Common Core State Standards. With so much emphasis placed on literacy, social studies teachers fear they will see content slashed to leave time for meeting English's non-fiction standards. Already reeling from a lack of attention from the benchmarks put in place by No Child Left Behind,…

With common standards in science set to be finalized in March, states will soon face the dilemma of embracing them as their own or going their own way, raising the question of how common the Next Generation Science Standards will ultimately prove to be. The 26 "lead state partners" helping to develop the K-12 standards have agreed to…

Variation in test performance among examinees from different regions or national jurisdictions is often partially attributed to differences in the degree of content correspondence between local school or training program curricula, and the test of interest. This posited relationship between test-curriculum correspondence, or "alignment,"…

Accompanying myriad definitions of critical literacy is an absence of pedagogical models for implementing critical literacy in teacher education contexts. This action research explores critical literacy with pre-service and in-service teachers in teacher education courses offered in the United States. The primary data sources include online weekly…

This article discusses the theoretical framework, instructional design, formative assessment results, capacity for national distribution, and generalization of the Blending Assessment with Instruction Program (BAIP) model to other content areas such as science. The BAIP, developed and validated at the University of Kansas, employs technology to…

This article reports on the results of a new study of the views of parents and students in Kansas and Missouri by the New York City-based research organization Public Agenda. Released September 19, the study involved a phone survey of 2,767 students and parents of public school children in grades 6-12 in the two states, with a special emphasis on…

Under the auspices of the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), the Department of History at the University of Kansas recast its doctoral program to emphasize career preparation. Its creative approach has earned the department national visibility. In this article, the author describes how the department came to reenvision graduate education,…

The recent flap over the Kansas State Board of Education's decision to drop knowledge of evolution theory from its science standards has rekindled the perennial science/religion debate in education. This article examines mutual relationships of three knowledge structures (science, mainstream religion, and fringe beliefs) and the middle-ground's…

Describes the changes the Douglass school district (Kansas) underwent as they began to implement "Transitions," a school improvement model that is based on individual student accountability. Provides insight into the capacities that need to be developed within a system before Transitions can be implemented successfully. Includes a sample…

Describes how the North Central Association (NCA) school improvement process helped Auburn Elementary School (Kansas) achieve improved student performance. Asserts that critical elements for a successful school improvement process include: trust, organization, and strong steering committee and peer review chairs. (KP)

Curriculum consortia composed of small, rural school districts can overcome professional isolation, better meet state accreditation standards, improve decision making, better attract external funding, and strengthen sense of community through the development of professional relationships. Describes how consortia are organized and developed and…

Explains how to develop lesson plans to help students become effective researchers using electronic searching tools. Uses a unit developed for Kansas landmarks to discuss information skills, competency standards, inquiry, technology use, information literacy and process skills, finding information, and an example of a research log. (LRW)