This publication highlights opportunities to improve the educational outcomes of Hispanic children at an early age, a time that is critical to setting up the academic success of children. Specifically, this paper examines barriers to quality and access that limit the participation of Latino children and families in preschool and offers…

If school districts are to capitalize systematically on the power of computers to improve instruction, they should carefully consider instructional problems, develop precise goals, and test applications to see if they achieve these goals. (TE)

This paper was written in response to the Idaho Teacher Excellence Program (part of the Idaho School Improvement Act of 1984) to assist districts in developing teacher appraisal programs. Central to effective teacher appraisal systems is a clearly defined purpose, i.e., the improvement of instruction. The system used should distinguish between…

This thesis focuses on the definitional and cross-cultural processes involved in the development of an environmental education (EE) database of essential learnings, and the potential of the product in improving the effectiveness of international EE. Identifying the universal aspects of EE is crucial because EE is an evolving field, and is…

This training course module on curriculum development is divided into five units: (1) basic curriculum questions; (2) formulation of educational objectives; (3) translating national goals into educational programs; (4) determination of learning needs; and (5) the organization of areas of knowledge in the curriculum. For each unit the learning…

The Bradley Commission on History in Schools was created in 1987 in response to concern over the inadequacy of the history taught in U.S. elementary and secondary classrooms. This history curriculum guideline was designed by the Bradley Commission to aid those responsible for making curricula related decisions to realize the manifest importance of…

Effective instructional management processes come in many guises, but all share four essential components: (1) a set of educational goals toward which progress can be measured; (2) a means of assessing students' instructional needs and determining placement and grouping; (3) an organizational structure and instructional delivery process capable of…

This paper presents ideas relating to curriculum organization from the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development publication, "Excellence in Our Schools: Making It Happen," which attempted to synthesize nine reports written in response to the National Commission on Excellence in Education report, "A Nation at…

Five years ago Los Angeles Unified School District administrators began efforts to ensure that teachers teach students what they are expected to learn and test them accordingly. The initial stage of this projected curriculum alignment was first of all to define the essential skills to be taught in the elementary grades and provide a list of these…