The papers in this book reflect current debates on academic standards and quality assurance, and speak from the perspective of institutional leaders and national quality bodies and higher education researchers. Included are reports on the progress of several international quality initiatives and studies on the impact of external quality assurance…

This paper overviews strategies employed by the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) to implement systemic reform in math, science, and technology education in rural Appalachia. ARSI is one of four Rural Systemic Initiative projects funded by the National Science Foundation to target regions characterized by low population density and high…

The guide presents the newly-developed curriculum of the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana at Iztapalapa (Mexico) for its program in English as a foreign language. An introductory section provides background information on the initiative to design a new curriculum. The second section presents the principles on which the curriculum and its methods…

Between 1993 and 1996, Henry Ford Community College (Michigan) worked with business, industry, and technical instructors to revise their Technical Mathematics program in accordance with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. The purpose of the project was to restructure the technical math curriculum and create a context…

This report describes findings of two half-day focus group meetings that discussed experiences and concerns about the participation of students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in Minnesota's Basic Standards Exams. The focus groups included test coordinators, general classroom teachers, and English as a Second Language teachers. The report…

This report summarizes results of a survey of students in the recently-initiated part-time evening program of Nova Southeastern University (Florida) law school. Respondents included all 54 evening program students enrolled in spring 1997. Results indicate that about half the students hold a job that is either highly or moderately related to their…

This booklet, which is written for adult literacy practitioners in Australia, argues that adult literacy practitioners working as trainers and assessors must become familiar with the tasks and texts used by competent workers in particular occupations and industries, and must understand how those tasks and texts fit within the broader social…

This training module for inexperienced elementary classroom assistant teachers provides information on what their job consists of, what is occurring in American elementary schools, and possibilities for paraeducators. The 12 chapters are: (1) "Who Are You?"; (2) "Are You Qualified?"; (3) "What Can You Expect?"; (4) "What about Instruction?"; (5)…

The Department of Public Instruction is actively involved in efforts to improve the school experience and educational outcomes in Wisconsin. Chapter 1, "What Are the Characteristics of Successful Schools?" examines the seven characteristics of successful schools, which describe the school environment, goals, and management strategies and…

This publication is a reference document meant to accompany other National Skill Standards Board (NSSB) publications that describe the development of skill standards, including Built to Work: A Common Framework for Skill Standards. This companion guide provides the NSSB Complexity Rating Skill Scales. Chapter 1 explains briefly how this tool fits…

In 1999, a task force was appointed to develop early childhood education (ECE) program expectations or standards for New Jersey's ECE programs. The standards were based on the task force's review of research, curricula, standards, and guidelines developed by local boards of education, other states, and professional organizations; feedback on draft…

Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, which is located in the rural New England town of Franklin, Massachusetts, is a school of "choice" that students elect to attend. All of the school's 850 students must have a career/technical focus for their studies. Most of Tri-County's ninth-graders are unprepared for high school,…

This document, which lists the environmental and natural resources technology competencies identified by representatives from businesses and industries as well as secondary and postsecondary educators throughout Ohio, is intended to assist individuals and organizations in developing college tech prep programs that will prepare students from…

This document is intended to show the relationship between Ohio's Standards and Competencies, Equipped for the Future's (EFF's) Standards and Components of Performance, and Ohio's Revised Benchmarks. The document is divided into three parts, with Part 1 covering mathematics instruction, Part 2 covering reading instruction, and Part 3 covering…

Intended for parents as a companion to the Alberta Curriculum Guides, this summary, in English- and French-language versions, uses an "at a glance" schematic to list the curricular goals for Grades 10, 11, 12 in Alberta. In addition to English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, goals cover career and life…