This article asks three questions: (1) Why do the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries matter to school administrators; (2) How is an administrator's knowledge of the role of the school librarian as articulated in these standards; and (3) Is it known what matters to school administrators and how…

The state of Oklahoma and the federal government have spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the past decade in pursuit of expanding the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) as a means of ensuring highly qualified teachers for every student. This study aimed to discover whether or not there was any relationship between…

Oklahoma is in the process of transitioning to new English language arts and mathematics standards that will better prepare students to be successful in college and their careers. Time, effort, and resources must be dedicated to effective implementation in order to realize the promise of these new common core state standards. This paper captures…

This policy research document is intended for Oklahoma policymakers to use when examining possible changes to the state assessment's alignment with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2009 NAEP test is not yet in existence, so the purpose of this report is to give policymakers a head start in determining where they might,…

Studies continue to surface a disheartening fact: while research shows that teachers are key to closing achievement gaps, poor and minority students as well as those in low-performing schools are far less likely to have access to the most experienced and qualified teachers. For instance, although National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are…

This lesson offers historical background on federal Indian policy from 1870 to 1900, focusing on the Dawes Act of 1887 (with two resources). It provides four primary source documents, including maps of Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and Will Roger's application for enrollment in the Five Civilized Tribes. The lesson relates to the powers granted to…

In this activity, teachers in one state create and share an "exchange box" of environmental and cultural items with students of another state. The Environmental Exchange Box activity enables teachers to improve students' skills in scientific inquiry and develop attitudes and values conducive to science learning such as wonder, curiosity,…

This booklet presents a plan for improving Oklahoma's K-12 education. Section 1, "Getting Serious about Standards for Both Students and Teachers," includes: developing high quality student standards linked to high quality teacher standards; establishing state professional standards boards; professionally accrediting all schools of…

This document describes a practicum that was conducted to develop a training program appropriate for adult day care program aides that would meet Oklahoma state certification requirements and national standards. The training curriculum for use in delivering onsite competency-based training to students studying to become adult day care program…

This booklet provides an overview of Oklahoma's educational policy, highlighting historical efforts, current initiatives, future plans, and existing challenges to educational reform. It begins with a brief description of the demographics, economic status, and educational system of the state. A narrative is then provided that is organized around…