A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across…

This virtual conference is part of a larger consultation process through which UNESCO will consult with practitioners and researchers; representatives of key stakeholder groupings such as employers' federations, trade unions and youth organizations; other international agencies and Member States in order to draft a new Revised Recommendation that…

This is an exciting time to be in science education. New science standards are being developed by a group of science educators from across the country, working with 26 states in a process managed by Achieve, Inc., a non-profit education reform organization. The development of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) promises to be the most…

The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks," the result of collaborative work between the European Training Foundation (ETF), the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] and UIL [UNESCO Institute for…

The Common Core State Standards, released in June 2010, offer an opportunity to shift education away from shallow, test-prep instruction and toward a focus on key cognitive skills, writes Conley. Two consortia of states are now developing common assessments to measure these standards--assessments that will be designed to capture deeper, more…

One year before the National Education Summit, Congress had reauthorized the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and created a National Assessment Governing Board to develop and oversee policy for the NAEP. In conjunction with the call to establish national education goals, efforts are being made to establish standards for…

Describes three broad areas of challenge for the development of national curriculum content standards: (1) tension between leadership and consensus; (2) tension between flexible and specific standards; and (3) tension between up-to-date dynamic standards and reasonable expectations for systemic change. Examining tradeoffs necessary will result in…

Offers 10 academic criteria considered essential for states to adopt when establishing their educational standards. As an aid to standard setters, the article includes a list of titles from the "Defining World-Class Standards" series written by the American Federation of Teachers. Criteria categories are math, science, history and social…

The vision of the Goals 2000 program for educational improvement leads to the fundamental question of what we want students to know. School districts throughout the country are beginning to grapple with this question, and some national efforts have been made to help them. The National Council on Education Standards and Testing has recommended…

Asserts that efforts to achieve educational reform can have significant personal and professional effects on participants in the process. Presents "Ten Verities" as a perspective on the tremendous investment that participation in the reform process requires. Concludes that, the end product of world class geography standards will justify…

Recommendations by the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST) are provided concerning whether national standards and a system of assessments are desirable and feasible and how national standards and a system of assessments are to be developed and implemented. The NCEST found that the absence of explicit national standards…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 904) raise the achievement expectations of all students, including students with disabilities. These requirements place new responsibilities on institutions of higher education and state educational agencies…

Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are used to provide a report on moving student achievement toward the standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). These standards established broad goals about what students should know and should be able to do in mathematics from kindergarten through…

In support of the National Education Goals of 1990, the Goals Panel convened a Technical Planning Group to offer background guidance for the National Council on Education and Standards in its task of establishing world-class academic standards for the United States. Recommendations of the Planning Group consider two types of content standards:…

The use of the term "world class standards" grows out of the rhetoric surrounding the National Education Goals of 1990. The perspective of the mathematical sciences education community on world class standards is offered through a description of their efforts on behalf of reform of mathematics education and a discussion of what such…