Citing Aristotle, Franklin and Einstein as proponents of a broad, liberal-arts education, Finn and Ravitch promote the need for liberal learning as preparatory to the civic life needed for a well-functioning democracy. Drawing together the work of a number of educators, the editors have organized this volume in two sections. Part I, Liberal…

New York's state standards for student achievement in second language learning, for languages other than English, are outlined in the areas of both communication skills and cultural awareness, at three proficiency levels. The first standard is that "students will be able to use a language other than English for communication." The second…

This report presents tables, graphs, and text summarizing baccalaureate graduation rates in Texas beginning with a cohort of first-time, full-time students who entered a public college or university in Texas in 1985. Graduation rates are typically described as the percentage of first-time, full-time students who earn baccalaureate degrees within 6…

Ireland's program of specific skills training (SST) Objective 1 courses, which are designed to train/retrain the labor force required for implementation of Ireland's Industry and Services Operational Programme, was evaluated by analyzing program expenditure reports and participant profiles, surveying a random sample of 101 employers, and visiting…

The Ohio sixth-grade proficiency test is intended to measure a student's literacy level and basic competency in writing, reading, mathematics, citizenship, and science. This guide is designed to help parents prepare their fifth- and sixth-grade children for this proficiency test. An introduction, "Important Information," outlines three…

This advisory report presents 18 recommendations for cost sharing, cooperation among institutions, and meeting future demands for higher education in Ontario. A framework for public policy is offered which stresses the themes of excellence, accessibility, and responsibility and urges differentiation in strengths among colleges and universities, a…

The New Standards Project (NSP) is an effort to create a state- and district-based assessment and professional development system to serve as a catalyst for major educational reform. As part of a professional development strategy tied to assessment, 114 teachers, curriculum supervisors, and assessment directors, representing 23 states and…

This facilitator's guide, and the videotape it accompanies, is designed to demonstrate ways in which the new visions of science education for the 21st century might be translated into classroom practice. The National Research Council's (NRC) National Science Education Standards, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Benchmarks…

This annotated bibliography lists some of the resources and materials that the 12 national business organizations constituting the Business Coalition for Education Reform (BCER) have available to assist those interested in strengthening U.S. schools through the following activities: raising academic standards for all students; ensuring that…

Whether different amounts of general job stress and stress related to the Alabama Performance-Based Accreditation Standards were experienced by teachers and principals was studied in a sample of 65 principals and 242 teachers from 9 Alabama school systems. All subjects completed the Alabama Performance-Based Accreditation Standards Stress Measure,…

The fourth annual report on Florida's progress toward excellence in the State University System is presented. A total of 20 "indicators" of quality were used; they include the following seven national measures of efforts toward reaching the upper quartile of state university systems: (1) average full-time faculty salaries, (2) number of…

The fifth annual report on Florida's progress toward excellence in education within its state university system describes the status of the system according to 20 indicators of quality. They include the following seven national measures of efforts toward reaching the upper quartile of state university systems: (1) average full-time faculty…

Results of the fourth annual survey of over 5,000 college faculty in all types of higher education institutions are reported. The information gathered is organized in eight categories: the goals of collegiate education; academic standards; attitudes about student life; teaching, research, and service; the status of the profession; views of the…

An initiative to promote excellence in South Carolina's higher education system is presented by the State Commission on Higher Education in two documents. The first is a descriptive summary of rationales and recommendations in six areas. The second document is a report which includes and expands the material of the first document. Twenty-five…

Public Act 84-126 amended The School Code of Illinois to include a definition of schooling and a requirement that the goals for learning be identified and assessed. This document identifies state goals for language arts education in grades 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12, and includes a sample set of district level learning objectives consistent with those…