The aim of this essay is to advance understandings of current efforts to democratize disciplined approaches to educational innovation and improvement in the US and other countries, with a specific focus on the macro-level policy contexts of improvement research in education. In the US, earlier analyses examined these policy contexts from a…

Congress's role in defining and promoting equality of educational opportunity has evolved over the past 55 years since "Brown v. Board of Education." Most recently, all three branches of the federal government have focused more on equality of educational opportunity for "individual" students rather than for protected classes.…

The perspective of the National Dropout Prevention Center is that the accomplishment of Goal Two of the National Education Goals, a high school graduation rate of at least 90%, is inextricably linked to Goals One and Three, school readiness and the opportunity for all to use their minds well. Research priorities for meeting these goals are…

This paper addresses state and local level issues linked with Goals 2000 in Colorado and seeks to shed light on the development of geography content standards in one Colorado school district. The paper begins with a succinct review of Colorado's standards-based educational reform and the creation of the state's model content standards. After a…

This document provides an overview of primary, cross-cutting issues that are likely to arise as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; Goals 2000; the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act; and the National Education Statistics Act are considered by the United States Congress for reauthorization in the future.…

Many organizations, school districts, and state departments of education are posting useful materials on the Internet for anyone interested in Goals 2000, world-class standards, and school restructuring. This digest identifies key Internet offerings related to Goals 2000 and world-class standards. Pointers to each of these offerings can be found…

The House Subcommittee met to consider the progress that had been made toward the implementation of the restructuring of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) and the fulfillment of its original mission, the equalization of educational opportunities for disadvantaged children. A report on implementation efforts was presented by…

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 called for the U.S. Department of Education to prepare an Annual Performance Plan which links the Department's budget request with its Strategic Plan. To meet that directive, Volume 2 of the Department's Strategic Plan for 1999 is presented here. It includes the program performance plans that…

Asserts that this is a frenetic time for arts education. Discusses the formation and implementation of public policy regarding arts education. Concludes that the most responsible policies emerge when broad-based input from professionals and lay persons is solicited and acted upon. (CFR)

This study explored whether classroom teachers were involved in research, what role teachers should play in educational research, and what educational issues teachers think should be addressed in a newly restructured educational research infrastructure. The project included more than 6,000 educators nationwide with the majority in the Midwest.…

This document provides a portfolio of resources for educators involved in rural school improvement. The Federal Interagency Committee on Education developed a national research and development (R&D) agenda for rural education that focuses on six themes: rural school effectiveness, curricular provisions, school-community partnerships, human…

Asserts that the current focus on voluntary national standards has catapulted arts education into a new prominence. Discusses the background and tactics of current educational reform efforts. Concludes that, without empirical research and assessment, the proposed curricular standards will remain an educational fad. (CFR)