Discusses the organizational development of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) during the years 1982-1995. Describes the effort to establish national social studies standards in response to the national Goals 2000 movement. Describes the reorganization of the NCSS committee structure and central office staff. (CFR)

Describes the efforts of the Alaska Department of Education and geography educators to develop standards based on the National Geography Standards model. Discusses the statewide public consensus process and includes a chronological table of events. Provides six sample standards and performance criteria from the Alaska 2000 geography standards.…

Contends that citizenship education has become a political agenda rather than an educational concern. Argues that the national standards movement is fueled by opponents of multicultural education, global education, and an integrated social studies curriculum. (CFR)

Argues that the national standards movement is predicated on the notion that teachers are stupid. Criticizes the standards as being unworkable, often irrelevant, and emphasizing low-level data and memorization. Claims the standards are doomed to fail because they attempt to "teacher proof" the "right" information.(MJP)

Discusses how library media specialists can get teachers' support and cooperation to implement a schoolwide information literacy program. Highlights include national or state curriculum standards in language arts, social studies, science, and math; and an example of a poetry unit for language arts that includes information literacy and language…

Maintains that criticism of the history National Standards (from educators and historians, not the conservative media) has been unspecific and poorly focused. Argues that standards, by their definition, are exclusionary. Questions the attempt to develop critical thinking at an early age. (MJP)

Neoliberalism claims that privatization, marketization, uniform standards, and accountability--some important dynamics surrounding globalization in education--increase choices and quality in education. However, numerous studies show that the market has consistently devalued alternatives; increased the power of dominant models; and exacerbated…

The movement towards national academic standards and high-stakes testing is driven by corporate interests seeking profits and ultimately, privatization of public education. Teachers, parents, and students have had no input into these policy decisions. Research shows that the standards movement penalizes low-income and minority students, replaces…

It is by now a familiar story, often told as a lament: teachers in United States continue to be paid according to the single salary schedule. They accrue better pay on the basis of years of experience and college units earned. Units may or may not be related to teaching assignment. Some districts have modestly tweaked this arrangement by paying a…

"The Student Evaluation Standards" were born from the frustrations and concerns of many people who want the evaluations to better serve student learning. This paper describes those standards and how they serve student learning. The first part of this paper lays groundwork--context--by providing strong evidence that, at least in the…

This publication provides an introduction to teaching and learning approaches for the extension topics within GCSE Physics. It highlights some specific ideas that teachers can adopt and where to find further information. It also outlines issues for managing the change. This guide contains sevens sections: Section 1 presents the policy context;…

Every year, more than 15,000 teachers vie for the chance to become certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Although the process is voluntary, National Board Certification is a widely recognized mark of distinction and is increasingly tied to leadership opportunities for teachers, salary increases, and improved student…

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is recognized by the U. S. Department of Education as the accrediting body for colleges and universities that prepare teachers and other professional personnel for work in elementary and secondary schools. Through its voluntary, peer review process, NCATE ensures that accredited…

The research study presented here was conducted by two educational technology faculty members, one from special education and the other from general education, and their respective undergraduate classes. This study applied an action research model (Hubbard & Power, 1999; Mills, 2000), coupled with a pre and posttest design, in examining the…

In 2003 the first nationally-comparable science assessment was designed, developed and carried out under the auspices of the national council of education ministers, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). In 2006 a second science assessment was conducted and, for the first time nationally, the…