Examines the possible impact of the 1994 elections on the National Standards in social studies. Discusses the background, political controversy, and current state of the National Standards movement. Contains a brief bibliography of reference sources. (MJP)

Teacher education programs preparing for national accreditation must develop and represent knowledge base models used in curricula. Auburn University's College of Education devised decision seminars, a systematic review process that lets each program be represented according to its own professional knowledge base, assisting in quality assurance…

Presents the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) plan for national guidelines and standards in school libraries. Provides a template and applies the planning model, using the National Association of Secondary School Principals example. Outlines planning and implementation objectives, and discusses strategies, communication tools, and…

Project 2061 is a nationwide education-reform initiative that is in the forefront of the standards movement in science, mathematics, and technology education. It shows that high academic standards can support good professional development, and vice versa. This article describes the use of standards; explains the layers of standards (national,…

Provides a historical and current context for National Education Technology Standards (NETS) that were developed for elementary and secondary education, describes their implications for priorities such as school funding, and suggests curriculum-based strategies that may be used to meet these standards within content-area lessons. (Author/LRW)

Contends that speech ensembles can be useful in the music classroom, particularly at the middle school level, to help develop students' creative thinking, powers of expression, and skills in notation and counting. Offers five steps to guide students in creating speech ensembles that address the National Standards for Music Education. (CMK)

The Teacher Training Agency's National Professional Qualification for Headship is a (nearly mandatory) initiative leading to a threshold qualification for headship. This article examines NPQH, contrasting it with recent school management provision history in England and Wales and with international practice. With modifications, NPQH may contribute…

Discusses making the World Wide Web accessible to people with physical disabilities. Includes Web site design; text alternatives for graphic elements; Web sites that help construct accessible Web pages; software packages to improve accessibility; accessible electronic resources in libraries; and the Americans with Disabilities Act and standards…

Discusses how technology-enhanced service-learning can help teachers address national standards. Describes a three-step process (preparing students for service- learning, reflecting on the experience, and taking action through communication) to strengthen service-learning. Uses the Internet to enhance environmental community projects. Includes a…

Explains why the national standards effort in education failed, discusses the existence and diffusion of current standards, and describes how credible national level standards might be developed. Development recommendations include brevity; concentration on skills required for student advancement; the need for review, revision, and field testing;…

Describes the evolution of 2 of the 15 criteria (on United States history and world history) developed and adapted by the National Council for History Standards. (SR)

Reports that in 1999 the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) established a task force to develop competency standards for higher education. Paying particular attention to learners of all levels, adaptable standards were developed that directors of learning resources centers can adopt as part of their institutions' strategic…

Describes the certified health education specialist (CHES) examination, focusing on several procedures used in the process of developing the examination to ensure that it provides valid input in the credentialing decision, including: the role delineation and test specification; test item development; examination finalization; establishment of a…

Describes design and the design process. Relates design to "A Nation at Risk"; "Goals 2000: Educate America Act"; the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills; the "Voluntary National Content and Performance Standards"; and "New Performance Standards." Discusses the role of art teachers in the adoption of design-based approaches. (CMK)

Discussion of national standards for information-and-technology literacy focuses on experiences at one school where national standards were synthesized by library media specialists to develop local standards as well as a series of benchmarks by which student achievement could be measured. (Author/LRW)