Comments on state legislative intervention in curriculum during the past decade. Discusses attempts to establish minimum competency testing and legislative mandates regarding subjects and minimum instructional time. Addresses back-to-basics and saleable skills issues and reviews a Presidential Advisory Committee report with a discussion of…

The role of music education in the curriculum and the specific skills that should be developed by students at particular grade levels, as articulated by the state of Arizona, are described. It is stated that a comprehensive music program should afford students experiences in: performing/reading, creating/writing, listening/describing, and values.…

The Arizona Social Studies Framework formulates goals for student competency in four broad categories: knowledge and cultural understanding; understanding of democratic principles; individual and group participation in social political affairs; and fundamental skill attainment for effective citizenship. Under each social studies goal are listed…

The author states that throughout the past century or more, especially during the twentieth century, the continuing conflict between proponents of the minimum essentials approach to curriculum excellence and those of the individual development approach has been an obstacle to the achievement of excellence. (CT)

Describes a series of projects conducted in the Dallas County Community College District at various stages of a major curriculum review process. Discusses guiding principles that emerged from the process, relating to institutional autonomy, faculty and staff commitment, community support, and high institutional priority for the effort. (AYC)

The attorney for the plaintiffs in Debra P. v. Turlington discusses the harmful effects and the arbitrary and unfair nature of minimum competency testing. (Author/WD)

If competence is the outcome of a set of carefully designed behavioral objectives, then the form, generality, and focus of these objectives must be impeccable. Eight guidelines that eliminate the weaknesses in existing competency statements are presented. (CMJ)

Some of the major concerns regarding competency-based education (CBE) and ways of dealing with them are discussed. CBE is viewed as an opportunity for educators to work for real improvement in the teaching and learning process. (MP)

Discussion of the standards issue in gifted education stresses the value of program models characterized by academic freedom and development of creative expression and urges that lists of standards and high-stakes testing do not replace a rich curriculum. (Contains references.) (DB)

The Illinois Learning Standards are required learning targets for Illinois students and schools. This guidebook includes the Illinois State Goals for Learning in seven learning areas (as updated from the 1985 Learning Goals), Learning Standards for each of the State Goals, and Learning Benchmarks that define progress at five developmental levels…

Intended for use by those who have direct responsibility for providing leadership in the area of English, this monograph provides a process for improving the English curriculum in a way that is true to the intellectual and emotional needs of students while meeting society's expectations for a practical curriculum. The monograph begins with a…

The need for improved accountability has led to more competency-based testing. This provides test makers with the opportunity to have greater impact on the curriculum. Several strategies are suggested for measurement-based instructional improvement. (Author/PN)

Reveals 16 findings of a study on whether high schools using Competency-Based Testing altered their curriculum differently than Non-Competency-Based-Testing Schools and, if so, what factors (e.g., school size, ethnic makeup, or community type) contributed to the differences. Makes seven recommendations based on study findings. (DMM)

The promotion of basic skills need not conflict with present elective systems which seek to create interest and to address student concerns. The solution is not to narrow subject offerings to a "no-frills" level, but to design learning systems which ensure that current offerings cover the basic skills. (SJL)

This document is the result of a national Mainstream English Language Training workgroup. Guidelines and suggestions are presented, in five chapters, for English Language Training (ELT) programs. Chapter one deals with the scope and design of particular ELT programs, taking into account the clients to be served, the needs of the service locale,…