Bringing standards, assessment, and accountability from the state down to school districts is not the right way to implement new policies. Standards, assessment, and accountability must be thought of in a holistic way, and the complexity of the issues must be recognized. Educators must welcome the demand and directive that standards be…

The complexities surrounding the relationship between state content standards and improvements in student reading achievement are examined. A case study of one California elementary school reveals that its ideal outcomes--use of standards in curriculum planning and improved test scores--were complex, involving district initiatives, curriculum…

Discusses the current state of environmental science and studies. Argues against critics who claim that the increasing diversity of environmental studies faculties is eroding the curricular coherence and academic integrity of the programs. (Contains 24 references.) (WRM)

Offers a critical discussion on the issue of educational standards by (1) clarifying issues surrounding educational standards, (2) critically examining the assumptions underlying popular discourse about standards, and (3) offering and arguing for an alternate perspective based on democratic ideals. Discusses the impact of this on classroom…

Focuses on assessing student learning in relation to the National Standards for Music Education, covering topics such as content-related evidence of validity (the extent to which an assessment covers the content of instruction), assessment frameworks, weighing content areas, and frequency of assessment. Provides recommendations. (CMK)

Focuses on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2000 process-oriented standards of problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation as providing a framework for using the multiple intelligences that children bring to mathematics learning. Presents ideas for mathematics lessons and activities to…

Reviews key curriculum models to illustrate how geography is facing increased competition for class time. Addresses the need for a standards-based scope and sequence. Focuses on a project that prepared a content-specific scope and sequence, displayed as a matrix, and a teacher's guide for geographic education in grades K-12. (CMK)

This article relates the evolution of field-related accreditation standards since the 1982 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Curriculum Policy Statement to the changes that have occurred in agencies, students, and educational institutions. It demonstrates how CSWE modifications helped solve some problems while creating new ones. The authors…

By setting academic standards, America takes its first critical step toward providing a plan that will create an excellent educational system for the 21st century. It is important for those working on standards and those educating students with disabilities to work together as standards are being developed. Four kinds of standards need to be…

This paper develops a concept of educational adequacy linked to the economic model of the education production function. A production model standard of adequacy in financing education requires a specific and stable definition of adequate educational outcomes, an improved understanding of the relationship between school resources and educational…

In a recent letter to NJEA President Frank Totten, Education Commissioner Fred Burke reviewed his Department's approach on the T & E (Thorough & Efficient) Law and its accompanying Administrative Code. (Editor/RK)

Since the development of the Educational Technology Plan PK-12 in 1996, the state of Wisconsin has made great strides to ensure that the technologies necessary for fostering student growth and achievement are available to urban, suburban, and rural children alike. This addendum, intended to supplement the 1996 plan, will provide Wisconsin's school…

This document presents standards for educational accountability systems that represent models of practice derived from three perspectives: research knowledge, practical experience, and ethical considerations. These standards should be conceived of as targets for state and local systems and as criteria to judge proposed models of accountability…

Governors and state and local education officials assumed that raising student achievement in the elementary and middle grades would solve the problems with high schools--but it hasn't. Why? Good information is the basis for successful improvement, and high school reform lacks accurate information about what students are to learn and about how…

Schools as well as teachers are under threat in Oxfordshire. Author visits one of the small village schools whose future has been questioned. (Editor/RK)