There is a disparity between suburban and rural school achievement, with rural schools often performing lower on academic measures such as reading. Regardless of a student's geographic location, they should receive a high-quality education. There are rural schools in the State of Illinois, despite their location, that have overcome odds and have…

Despite the widespread education reform discourses attempting to alleviate high-stakes examination pressure and narrowly test-driven education systems in East Asia, none have been as systematic and drastic as the Free Year Program (FYP) recently implemented in South Korea. The FYP provides middle school students with a year-long reprieve from…

What happens when teams from 57 cities building afterschool systems gather to discuss two key system responsibilities--improving afterschool programs and using data for informed decision-making? Lots of rich discussion. This report covers a national afterschool conference held in February 2013. It details what mayors, program providers, system…

Intense opposition from colleges has severely weakened a plan that would radically alter institutional accreditation. The proposal would have created a national group to make accreditation a more uniform process with greater public involvement. A new proposal suggests a national body with much less power and fewer public members, much like a group…

The direction quality assurance and its ancillary practices is taking in the transformation process in South Africa is discussed in this article. The article argues that it is incorrect to suggest that the higher education system has been captured by managerialism. While efficiency is an important driver of the system, the imperatives of redress…

The purpose of this book is to discuss the history of educational reform in India and describe the steps taken by government to implement new policies. An education commission, better known as the Kothari Commission, published its report in 1966. As a result, the National Policy on Education (NPE) emerged in 1968 and was considered a major step…

Aspects of recent changes in Australian higher education are explored, with focus on the Dawkins Agenda, which is related to the current political and economic situation. Questions about the success of John Dawkins, Federal Minister for Employment, Education and Training, in regard to higher education are raised (why he has been successful and…

The National Framework for the Recognition of Training (NFROT) is one of the key structures underpinning training reform in Australia. NFROT's basic principles and fundamental purposes are supported by almost everyone involved with the framework, and there is strong evidence that NFROT has provided considerable benefits to providers and learners…

The thesis of this paper is that achievement tests have changed their primary function from serving as indicators of educational accomplishments to becoming instruments of educational policy, and have thus come to be regarded as effective means of altering educational achievement and productivity. This assertion is explored by using examples of…

In 1991, the Kansas Association of School Boards began a program called Quest for Quality. The program is based on the belief that public schools must adjust to changes in children, families, communities, and economic and political conditions in the nation and the world. Quest for Quality also reaffirms the American school system's responsiveness…

Nine papers and associated remarks constituting the proceedings of the 1988 Norstar Conference concerning the assessment of performance in higher education, and two prefatory papers are presented. The prefatory papers are: (1) "A Context for Change: The Reform Movement in Higher Education" (Judith M. Holtan); and (2) "Models of…

Provides a state-by-state summary of the progress made in implementing national standards for arts curricula and assessment. Forty-four states either have adopted standards or are vigorously working on their implementation. This is an enormous improvement over last year's participation of only six states. (MJP)

Between 1986 and 1993 Australia developed a national curriculum framework of statements and profiles in eight learning areas. These areas were (1) English, (2) mathematics, (3) science, (4) studies of society and the environment, (5) arts, (6) health and physical education, (7) technology, and (8) languages other than English. This development…

Maintains that the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) achieved an important symbolic victory by being a primary developer of the National Standards for Arts Education. Presents and discusses five issues related to the Goals 2000 program in general and the standards related to music education in particular. (CFR)

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Program for Mathematics and Science Education of the U.S. Department of Education provided a forum in which state and federal representatives could develop strategies to support the implementation of recently developed mathematics and science education standards. This conference report describes the presentations and…