President George W. Bush has unveiled an activist education plan that requires states to improve their worst schools or face sanctions from the federal government. The plan would tie Title I money to the states' adopting "clear, measurable goals focused on basic skills and essential knowledge" and testing children every year in grades 3-8.…

This study uses document analysis and comparison to investigate the connotations of National Standards for Visual Arts of the United States and Taiwan. The major difference between these two sets is the content structure. The U.S. standards focus on the differentiation of students' abilities by grade based on six content areas of arts disciplines.…

Assessment, when integrated with instruction, can provide a basis for restructuring science education. The National Science Education Standards are incorporated into this guide to assessing student understanding in science. Chapters include: (1) "Assessment Based on Six Domains of Science," which organizes an assessment framework for…

The Fall 2003 Idea Book features: "Save Our History Study Guide: Our Documents"; "History International Study Guide: Pyramids"; "The History Channel Study Guide: Lewis and Clark" (Ideas from Our Teachers Contest Rules; Ideas from Our Teachers Context Winners); "A&E Classroom Study Guide: Post…

Beginning a journey mid-May 1804, what became known as the Corps of Discovery, under the command of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, set out to investigate the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, locate a water route to the Pacific Ocean, and strengthen U.S. claims to the northwest. The 55-member group navigated a variety of terrains and…

Scope and sequence refers to organization of curriculum content, structuring what is taught against when it is taught. This scope and sequence for the different disciplines that comprise arts education in North Carolina public schools cites various goals to be attained in each grade for each of the following disciplines: dance, music, theater…

Over the past 10 years, there have been calls for and attempts at social studies reform in Norway and the United States. But all social sciences, it seems, are not equal. Some social sciences (history, geography, civics, economics) are more equal than others (sociology, anthropology, psychology). Within this charged atmosphere the Social Science…

This document presents the results of a project conducted by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) on the implications of national science education standards documents for the science curriculum. This book features background papers and recommendations directed towards those responsible for curriculum reform, regardless of their roles…

This essay argues that the key assumptions driving standards-based school reform and accountability testing are inapplicable to urban schools, suggesting that tasks facing urban school leaders differ both in magnitude and kind from those found in other school districts. The current all-purpose reform solutions treat all schools as the same while…

Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 4, of the United States Constitution, the U.S. Congress is granted the power to "establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization." With passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, Congress exercised this authority, denying the rights of citizenship to all Chinese immigrants. The Chinese Boycott Case…

At the fall 1996 Education Summit, 40 governors and 45 business leaders called for higher student achievement standards. This article provides some historical background for the standards-based education movement and introduces essays exploring the movement from various perspectives. Although some educators remain skeptical, standards-based…

The standards movement is in a state of crisis. Although states have made progress in developing and implementing standards, some standards-driven reforms and takeover sanctions represent significant threats to students and educators. Principals should focus on new opportunities to become instructional leaders, help teachers use standards to…

A critical problem in Japanese high school education is lack of fit between uniform curriculum and students' heterogeneous interests and abilities. This article explores policy initiatives to restructure and diversify high school education. Innovative high schools with "comprehensive" programs are emerging at a time when U.S. schools are…

New Standards Project directors believe that U.S. educational system must educate all students to high standards. Type of test administered heavily influences classroom practice. New system, consisting of portfolios; performance-based matrix exam tasks, projects, and exhibitions; and work selected by districts, teachers, and students will extend…

Developing national academic standards may improve students' preparation for work or college. However, any proposed new national assessment system will be doomed to failure if seen as the cure-all for the country's educational ills. The contributors to this "NASSP Bulletin" issue examine numerous challenges associated with using tests as a tool to…