This book is designed to help educators move from a system that measures students against students to one that values mastery of central concepts and skills, striving for proficiency in publicly acknowledged standards of academic performance. It aims to connect the operative parts of standards-based education (standards, assessment, curriculum,…

This report describes efforts by Achieve, Inc. to raise standards and reduce the achievement gap. In 2001, Achieve expanded its efforts to benchmark standards and accountability policies across the states, focusing on three states at the forefront of standards based reform (Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas), while continuing to examine the…

High stakes tests are increasingly used to monitor systemic improvements in mathematics and teachers are expected to rely on the results of such tests to adapt their instructional practices. We examine the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) over a period of three years to examine to what extent its results can be used to guide…

As the use of National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored, reform- oriented mathematics curricula has become more prevalent across the U.S., an increasing number of researchers are attempting to study the "impact" of reform. In particular, mathematics educators are interested in determining whether reforms are having the desired effects…

Lesson study is the major form of professional development in Japan and has attracted attention in the United States in recent years. Lesson study currently conducted in Japan varies in terms of length, structure, and scale. District-level mathematics lesson study gathers teachers from different schools who share an interest in teaching the…

This report presents a distinguished panel's findings on financial education in the U.S. In May 2002, the Secretaries of the Departments of Treasury and Education invited representatives from national youth education groups to consider the opportunities and challenges that arise when financial education is integrated into core curricula.…

This "Research Roundup" focuses on how schools can benefit when educational leaders use data to challenge their intuition and assumptions in their decision-making. In "Building an Automated Student Record System: A Step-by-Step Guide for Local and State Education Agencies," Barbara S. Clements provides administrators with a quick but comprehensive…

Student achievement is central to the policy debate over charter schools. This paper reviews what is currently known about charter schools' impact on student achievement. After documenting the dearth of systematic empirical studies on the topic, the paper combines the findings of existing research into an overall impact rating, weighted by the…

This paper describes the implementation of the Holistic Systemic Evaluation (HSE), a component of an Education Systemic Initiative's strategic management. The HSE provides general guidance for the implementation and continual improvement of an Education Systemic Initiative Reform (ESIR). The implementation of the education system initiative plan:…

The good-faith requirement in school desegregation was initially discussed by the United States Supreme Court in "Brown II." However, it was not until recently, in "Freeman v. Pitts," that the Court was to provide a definitive statement as to the meaning of the requirement, indicate the need for specific findings with respect…

Interest in class size is widespread today. Debates often take place about "ideal" class size. Controversial efforts to reduce class size have appeared at both the federal level and in various states around the nation. This paper reviews research on class size and discusses findings, how these findings can be explained, and policy implications.…

The Scottish Executive Council is working closely with education authorities, schools, and parents to ensure that all Scotland's children have the opportunities and encouragement to attain high standards in literacy and numeracy. The framework for education that has been put in place through the "Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act…

This packet contains materials related to the reauthorization of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of Education. It contains comments and testimony from individuals and groups, including the National Educational Research Policy and Priorities (NERRP) Board, all of whom have an interest in how research…

This hearing presents information to help lay the groundwork for legislative action on expanded parental choice in education. After an opening statement by John Boehner, Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives, there are statements by: Lawrence W. Reed, President Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Midland,…

This report uses the Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) as a case-study example of how new high school curricula have developed in the United States over the last decade since the publishing of the first NCTM Standards Documents (1989, 1991). Beginning with a description of both the curriculum itself and the rationale used to guide its…