The results of the achievement testing program of the Alberta (Canada) public schools are reported for the June 1991 administrations. The 1991 results help demonstrate what is possible for students in grades 3, 6, and 9 to know and do in science, mathematics, and social studies. For the first time, results are reported in terms of curriculum…

The quest for excellence in American higher education has been accompanied by the implementation of basic skills requirements and the corresponding assessment programs. Assessment results could provide feedback for curricular improvement, although they are frequently used as indicators of institutional quality. A study is presented that compared…

A study examined postsecondary occupational programs in clothing and textiles technology in Texas in order to (1) identify common essential competencies taught in postsecondary clothing/textiles technology programs, (2) develop and distribute student competency profiles of essential common competencies shared by the eight areas of study within…

A study conducted in 1989 surveyed Technology Student Association (TSA) advisors to find their perceptions concerning characteristics of technology education programs with a TSA component and the relationship between participation in co-curricular organizations and the teaching methods used by TSA technology teachers (DeLuca & Haynie, 1991).…

The Community College of Vermont holds the position that the highest purpose of education is to foster self-reliance, in both the community and the individual. This college awards the associate degree upon the completion of individual, student-written, competence-based degree contracts. Areas of competence which are evaluated include self…

Five Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)/Local Education Agency (LEA) programs designed to provide youth with employment-related services were reviewed. Onsite visits were conducted to assess program development and implementation in Houston, Worcester (Massachusetts), Minnesota, Fairfax County (Virginia), and Los Angeles. (Each area…

The Richfield Educational Assessment Program is a districtwide effort to collect specific information about the knowledge, skills, understandings, and attitudes of students in selected areas. The information collected will be used to help Richfield citizens and educators make decisions for program improvement. The program closely parallels the…

Randolph County Vocational Technical Center, Elkins, West Virginia, received a grant in 1997 for a project that was part of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) initiative to improve academic skills of career-bound students. The superintendent and faculty knew that improving achievement meant reaching out to the three home high schools to bring them…

This project described the characteristics and teaching behaviors of those successfully teaching AP® Calculus AB and AP English Literature and Composition to underrepresented minority students. Its purpose was to assist educators in improving the participation and performance of underrepresented minority students in AP classes. Study results…

This document, which is designed for educators at community and technical colleges throughout Texas, presents and examines employer-defined workplace competencies for high-technology occupations and outlines instructional strategies and capstone experiences for use in improving technical education and preparing students for high-technology…

All May 1977 graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were surveyed about their future plans and general impressions of their educational experiences. The response rate was about 46 percent and representative of the school's population, except that blacks were significantly underrepresented among respondents. Overall, about 23…

Reviews public responses to 18 questions about significant school issues, such as (1) the most important problems facing schools today, (2) support for antidrug measures in local schools, (3) rating the schools on success characteristics, (4) the goals of education, and (5) attitudes about AIDS. (IW)

Background: The overall goal of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is to close, by the end of the 2013-2014 academic year, "the achievement gap between high- and low- performing students, especially the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students and, between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers"…

The convergence of two apparently opposite theories of urban educational reform is analyzed as it occurs in three middle schools in a New York City school district. The first theory, emphasizing small schools of choice, promotes close relationships between students and adults in distinctive school programs. The second--centralized, standards-based…

A 1996-97 national survey of elementary and secondary schools investigated current patterns and shifts in foreign language enrollment, languages and programs offered, teaching methodologies, teacher qualifications and training, and reactions to national reform issues. An introductory section of the survey report offers background information on…