The Kansas State Board of Education's Quality Performance Accreditation system is described. Unlike past accreditation methods, which focused on the facilities or institutional characteristics, Quality Performance Accreditation accredits schools based on student performance. Through the accreditation process, the state will establish the same high…

The papers in this compilation address excellence in vocational education from the perspectives of four educational levels--secondary, postsecondary, adult, and teacher education. The implications of the recent national study reports on education are examined for each level, and standards of excellence and recommendations for action are suggested.…

Recommendations to improve quality in undergraduate study while maintaining access are offered that would involve statewide entry and exit standards and better preparation of students to meet the standards. Evidence suggests that an estimated 40 to 50 percent of entering freshmen will be referred to remedial education, and colleges may be granting…

A project was conducted to develop and pilot test a process for vertically articulating curriculum between the secondary and postsecondary levels of vocational-technical education in Minnesota. Subgoals were to develop and validate a procedure for developing statewide task lists and competency records and to develop a process for teacher and…

This two-volume guide presents ingredients for developing a culturally relevant curriculum for American Indian students in the primary grades. A survey of Indian literature for young children yielded eight topic areas included here. The suggested approach to curriculum development is the integration of reading, language arts, math, and science…

Between 1993 and 1996, Henry Ford Community College (Michigan) worked with business, industry, and technical instructors to revise their Technical Mathematics program in accordance with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. The purpose of the project was to restructure the technical math curriculum and create a context…

Written by English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers and teacher educators who played key roles in the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages' (TESOL) Standards and Assessment Project, this book is designed for preservice teachers in credential/licensure programs and master's programs at American universities and for practicing ESL…

A 1996-97 survey of 1,534 elementary and 1,650 secondary schools across the United States, both public and private, investigated current patterns in foreign language enrollment, languages and programs offered, curriculum design and content, teaching methods, teacher qualifications and training, and response to national reform issues. The study was…

This paper describes a technology assessment curriculum developed at Auburn High School (Virginia). The program was used in Honors Biology and General Chemistry classes and is based on Neil Postman's ten principles of interaction between technology and society and Edward de Bono's "Six Thinking Hats," a system of approaching a problem…

Describes the current South African university curriculum and degree structure, and proposes a new, more flexible model of academic progression that aims to improve articulation within the university system and between vocational/technical and higher education. The model is also intended to satisfy an emerging labor market need for more graduates…

The Carver Community Center in Evansville, Indiana, uses an academic enrichment program to support neighborhood students. The curriculum involves children in learning about African-American literary traditions and folk art. The Center's work is based on the premise that African-American children need to encounter the reality of history as in…

In this book, the Committee on Goals 2000 and the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities addresses standards-based reform and the education of students with disabilities, and presents recommendations to states and communities that seek to make these reforms consistent with current policies and practice in special education. The first chapter…

This guide is designed to help workplace trainers in Australia's coal industry improve coal miners' operator and general communication skills through a curriculum that integrates training in language, literacy, and numeracy. The following topics are discussed in the guide's seven sections: the changing workplace (changing work environment;…

The paper provides an overview of the educational system in Japan, focusing on revisions made since World War II to realize the national commitment to free, compulsory, and equal education. Efforts taken to balance nationally established academic requirements with local and regional needs are given special attention. The information is presented…

Three areas of concern for those considering competency-based graduation requirements are discussed. First, what is involved in implementing a competency-based graduation requirement? The first tasks are the specification of performance standards and the performance skill areas. Then, appropriate certification procedures can be selected, and their…