Discusses the need for national skill standards and the problems associated with establishing them. Suggests tasks that must be completed: (1) reaching consensus on what constitutes an industry; (2) settling how specific the lists will be; (3) determining how to set standards; and (4) figuring out how to assess students and what certification…

Describes briefly the author's experience seeking national board certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. (SR)

Questions whether a framework such as STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia) can capture the essence of what teachers do in the classroom. Addresses three animating passions which have informed and energized the author's work as a teacher: intensity, empathy, and gaiety. (RS)

Explores the professional and intellectual tensions in teaching English in recent times, focusing on Victoria, Australia. Argues that in the past few years all English teachers have been obliged to resist pressures toward reductive versions of literacy. Illustrates some specific literacy practices in secondary English classrooms which seek to…

Summary of a speech by Paul R. Lehman regarding the "National Standards for Arts Education," the standards movement, and the impact of standards on music research and teaching. Includes comments on Ohio's "Comprehensive Arts Education: Ohio's Art Model Competency" standards. Discusses the development of national standards,…

Comments in response to Pushkin's critique published in Science Education 2002, 86(2), p161-166 and reviews three aspects of the atheoretical nature of the National Science Education Standards (NSES) from the 1998 article in light of Pushkin's comments. (Author/YDS)

One of the greatest concerns for music educators over the next few years will certainly be accountability for our work m the classroom. The National Standards for Music Education give teachers, guidance for what their students should be learning in music classes, but the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has put additional demands on student…

This position paper has been produced in order to inform some of the current debates on National Curriculum Assessment in England. The Education and Skills Committee of the House of Commons has announced an inquiry into Testing and Assessment. In part this will examine testing and assessment in primary and secondary education as a key issue.…

In this article, the author provides a review and critique of key provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and documents some major effects of the law, which have not been positive for arts education and other subjects not formally tested under the law. Because NCLB is scheduled for reauthorization in 2007 or 2008, the author offers a…

Politicians, less interested in purity than in popularity, are generally wary of national standards. Yet a standards-based accountability system is the core component of NCLB, and in some ways it has made standards advocates victims of their own success. Now, many activists are agitating to cut back the role of Washington in education, and a…

Mandated testing is not working as advertised. Too much classroom time and energy is being spent on tests that do little to measure or instill in our students the skills and knowledge needed for their later life. Corruption and political manipulation of the testing process and test results further add to questions about the use of such testing.…

This report contains four papers reflecting the richness and energy of the issues surrounding national standards in mathematics and science. Papers include: (1) "Are the NCTM Standards Suitable for Systemic Adoption?" (Deborah Tepper Harino); (2) "A Mathematician Looks at National Standards" (Judy Roitman); (3) "Comments about NCTM's Curriculum…

This document offers collected information about Opportunity-to-Learn Standards, which are intended to provide a framework that makes it possible for all students to have equitable access to high-quality education. The first two sections outline why Opportunity-to-Learn Standards are necessary and what they should do. The Summary states that…

The New Zealand Curriculum Framework identifies seven Essential Learning Areas, namely, Languages, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Technology, Health and Physical Education, and the Arts. These have been in the process of development since 1993, with the Arts section written in draft form in 1998 and released for consultation in 1999. Being…

Suggests that the "Standards for the English Language Arts" (copublished by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association) makes good sense about literature and almost none at all about literacy. Argues that for 99% of the school population, the de-emphasis of the "Standards" on formal written communication…