In the fall of 2006 several influential national groups (Achieve, American Statistical Association, College Board, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) developed and released documents that recommended curriculum standards or focal points for K-12 mathematics. The timing of the release of these documents provided a unique and…

According to the National Science Education Standards, Standard A states that science students must have the abilities and understandings necessary to do scientific inquiry. The Standards explicitly state that small groups of students should hypothesize from prior experiences, construct explanations, evaluate explanations, design investigations,…

In 1986 the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC), in collaboration with leaders in the counseling profession, began a major initiative in the United States to strengthen and enhance comprehensive, competency-based career counseling, guidance, and education programs. These efforts led to the establishment of national…

England's Teacher Training Agency interviewed 20 mainstream and special school teachers on 4 aspects of a standard for special education teachers. Responses suggest that national standards might be effective means of teacher and pupil development but also reflect a concern that creativity and flair in teaching might be affected. (DLH)

This study examined whether Pacesetter Mathematics (PSM) teachers were teaching from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards as they implemented the standards-based PSM curricula. The standards identified four teacher instructional practices as essential: choosing worthwhile mathematical tasks, orchestrating classroom…

Little attention has been given to how school counselor education and professional training establishes competencies for which the duties constituting the practice of school counseling are uniquely derived. Furthermore, there is a dearth of information in the literature regarding how school counselor training, the national standards for school…

This paper suggests that a well-composed scheme of civic education does not merely predispose the citizen to political engagement, but more fundamentally, the considered systematic design of civic education parallels the essentials of both the constitutionalism and the democracy to which it gives access and control. This paper aims to draw out…

In the last decade there has been a whirlwind of change in policies affecting social studies education. Among the most noteworthy changes have been a national commission on social studies, subject-centered national standards, statewide high-stakes testing, school restructuring, and performance assessment. All of these changes have ramifications…

During the past 12 years there was a sudden and unexpected consensus held by U.S. Congressmen and Presidents that students in U.S. public schools were learning less than they should. Moreover, the conservatives and liberals agreed that the proper policy response to this public problem was to raise education standards. Recent years brought five…

This paper discusses the potential of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) to improve the status of women in Great Britain. The first section introduces NVQs and provides historical background. The second section addresses the question: What is an SVQ or NVQ, and what is involved in getting one?…

This case study investigated how state and district reform policies affected the organization and administration of Title I schoolwide programs in Chicago's public schools, noting whether application of standards to all students contributed to increasing curricular and instructional integration. Results highlight increased teacher collaboration,…

A workshop to introduce teachers to scientific inquiry as described in the "National Science Education Standards" is designed. Participants were involved in brief case studies and activities, treated to an explanation of "Science as Inquiry," and recommendations for professional development were made. Workshop participants were…

In 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) published the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards, setting a course for K-12 mathematics teaching and learning. More than a decade later, this study provides an important and timely analysis of trends in mathematics instruction and outcomes, with attention to race- and SES-related…

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…

American national standards for the evaluation of educational programs were developed by the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation in 1994. This paper describes the Joint Committee's standard setting process. The Joint Committee is a coalition of professional organizations concerned with the quality of evaluations in education.…