Examines two approaches to teacher education reform: (1) decentralization and (2) a national bureaucratic strategy to adopt uniform standards for teacher accreditation, mandate curricular requisites, and legislate policies governing teacher professional development. The paper explains that teacher education must prepare teachers to work in the…

This article reviews the reactions to higher-level National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in the United Kingdom in the context of certification levels by level and subject. The most successful higher NVQs are linked to professional qualifying routes, have generic application across a range of sectors or fill gaps where qualifications were not…

Emphasizing subject matter content standards in teacher education can improve early childhood education and yield long-term benefits for the development and learning of the whole child. The author discusses in depth his five recommendations to teacher educators for learning content standards and incorporating them into teaching. These are: (1)…

The recent structural reforms in New Zealand education have enabled the liberalisation of upper secondary school curricula to the point where schools can devise programmes that lead to nationally recognised vocational qualifications. Strategies include close relationships with further education providers whereby instructional materials or direct…

Two-thirds of schoolchildren in America attend class in states with mediocre (or worse) expectations for what their students should learn. That's just one of the findings of Fordham's The State of State Standards 2006, which evaluates state academic standards. The average state grade is a "C-minus"--the same as six years earlier, even…

Interior design, as a field of study, is a rapidly growing area of interest--particularly for teenagers in the United States. Part of this interest stems from the proliferation of design-related reality shows available through television media. Some art educators and curriculum specialists in the nation perceive the study of interior spaces as a…

The purpose of this booklet is to introduce parents of students with disabilities to the "big ideas" contained in school improvement efforts under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and to provide them with the information they need to help ensure that their children…

Many educators believe that if the United States is serious about reforming the nation's educational system, schools must implement high standards for student achievement that stress performance. While there is some disagreement over what form standards should take, there is consensus that expectations for achievement should cut across subject…

On May 18, 1994, a groups of scholars, policymakers, educators, and interested observers met at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., to analyze a relatively new phenomenon in American education--national standards and assessments. The discussion took place a few weeks after Congress enacted Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Clinton…

These American Indian standards for science education were developed in close alignment with the 1995 "National Science Education Standards," but tailored specifically for use in schools serving American Indian students. This document applies most of the science concepts of the U.S. national standards to American Indian life and issues,…

Four significant reforms comprising the national debate on educational reform are defining national standards and goals; creating a national curriculum; using a nationwide standardized test; and adding more time to school schedules. This publication summarizes opinion data from the general public and public school principals and teachers on these…

This book makes a case for the value of National Board Certification (NBC), describing the components of the process. It emphasizes the importance of working in groups so that group members can provide multiple interpretations of student work or videos in ways that enrich a candidate's analysis as well as the group's learning. It also suggests…

Washington's Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB) conducted research to identify components that constitute a content definition of career development by relating history, defining nomenclature, identifying issues, and describing the various approaches to such standards. Past efforts to establish academic and career…

A growing movement to ground school curriculum in locally relevant material--often called place-based education--is capturing the attention of many rural educators. Some see this approach as a way to address the decline of rural communities, including the outmigration of youth, by preparing students to live productive and fully engaged lives in…

Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many people considered a radical change in the U.S. Constitution. Militant suffragists used tactics such as parades, silent vigils, and hunger strikes. In 1870 the 15th amendment to…