Maintains that the traditional role of standards in elementary curriculum development is that of asking important questions regarding quality curriculum design and instruction. Presents seven questions to guide teachers as they utilize the standards. (CFR)

A report recently released by the Center on Education Policy reveals that the four-year-old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has indeed served to shine a light on the importance of professional development for K-12 educators. Beyond that basic fact, though, any real broad-based impact on the training of educators remains inconclusive. While the…

This study investigates the nature and scope of current staff development activities and their relation to better teaching or school improvement in a representative sample of school districts and private schools in Arizona and southern parts of California and Nevada. Findings are based on telephone discussions with 72 administrators in the region.…

This guide has two main objectives: (1) to help school board members become better governors of the local educational enterprise; and (2) to help school board members respond to questions from the public about the National Commission on Excellence in Education report entitled "A Nation at Risk." To meet these objectives, the guide offers…

The San Francisco Math Leadership Project is an attempt to re-educate elementary teachers, many of whom do not consider mathematics their favorite subject and have limited mathematics backgrounds. The task is to increase the mathematics knowledge of these teachers and build their confidence in their own ability to do mathematics and to teach it.…

Provided are transcripts of testimony presented at hearings on the status of mathematics/science education in the United States and testimony related to six bills to upgrade science/mathematics education, increase the supply of teachers, provide teacher training, and encourage training of students in high technology skills. These bills are H.R.…

In May 1982 the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering held a national convocation to consider the state of precollege education in mathematics and science in the United States. More than 40 speakers presented their views on how to reverse the current decline in science and mathematics education. The President, members of Congress, and…

Compiled to assist rural school advisers in their work and to inform those interested in rural education and in the administration and development of the rural advisory service, this report outlines the nature and contribution of the service, methods by which it achieves its purpose, and its major perceived needs. The first section describes the…

This speech summarizes the evaluations of the 1962 summer Language Institutes sponsored by the National Defense Education Act (N.D.E.A.) of 1958. Criticisms of the programs include discussion of: (1) institute program flexibility, (2) linguistics, (3) the lecture method of teaching, (4) demonstration classes, (5) methods courses, and (6)…

Disputing the claim that improved student learning requires stronger academic standards and stiffer tests, the authors of this book contend that effective state reform depends on coherence in policy and practice, and opportunities for professional learning. It draws on a study of a program in California that worked to improve mathematics teaching…

State policymakers can have an impact on the quality of the teaching force if they look seriously at three issues. The first issue is setting and enforcing teaching standards: setting standards for teacher education, teacher licensing, and ongoing evaluation and professional development; working toward National Council for the Accreditation of…

This document presents a set of principles for effective professional development and a series of practical suggestions to help schools and school districts implement these principles. The document also profiles several Indiana schools and programs that exemplify the type of school-based approach to professional development that is so promising.…

Argues that geography often is relegated to a negligible role in social studies curricula and that geography instruction suffers from a lack of standards and educational research. Recommends establishing intensive cooperative programs developing a thorough knowledge base for geography teachers and encouraging instructional research. (MJP)

Considers the role of school media librarians in changing educational environments. Highlights include a future education scenario; educational improvement; electronic information networking; constructivist versus instructional models of schooling; school computer network development, including costs; and library media leadership, including…

Business can support high-quality teaching by providing professional development efforts that provide teachers with knowledge of the changing workplace. At the policy level, business can take the following steps: ensure that teachers have a major or are certified in the content area in which they are teaching; support high-quality alternative…