New laws in California have set the state on a course for some potentially significant changes to the curriculum, including a measure that revisits the matter of teaching Algebra 1 in 8th grade and another that revamps the state's textbook-adoption process and hands districts greater leeway in choosing instructional materials. The algebra-related…

In spring 2009, the Center on Education Policy (CEP) continued its research on the impact of test-based federal and state accountability policies by conducting case studies of six high schools in six different districts within Washington State. The purpose was to learn more about the curricular and instructional changes that administrators and…

TO DETERMINE STATEWIDE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN RELATION TO EXISTING PRACTICES, DATA ARE DERIVED FROM OVER 500 INTERVIEWS AND CONFERENCES, AS WELL AS DOCUMENTS AND OTHER MATERIALS. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE--(1) EXPANSION OF THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE TO REMEDY LOCAL INEQUITIES, (2) REVISION OF STATE LAWS TO REGULARIZE EDUCATIONAL APPOINTMENT AND…

In 1990, in response to court orders, Kentucky took the unprecedented step of throwing out the state's entire public educational system. Using outside consultants, they fashioned a model for education reform that many experts have hailed as the best in the United States. The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) has become a beacon of hope for a…

The document, half of which consists of appendixes, discusses the development and implementation of individualized education programs (IEPs) for handicapped children in the state of Illinois. A sequential presentation of the Illinois rules and regulations applying to IEPs is provided, and the major mandated steps in the development if IEPs are…

The Arizona Elementary Foreign Language Task Force's response to a state mandate requiring foreign-language instruction in all elementary schools is described. After a review of curricular and personnel resource needs, Northern Arizona University's teacher-training model is summarized. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/LB)

True educational reform is the creation of a renewed identity at the school and classroom level when teachers and students interact in new, more productive ways. This article describes California's educational reform movement, presents evidence of successful change, and identifies where continued work needs to be done. (TE)

The influence of state-mandated tests on thoughts and actions of three middle school or junior high school literature teachers was studied. Case studies indicated that the changes that tests caused in teacher thinking were a function of teachers' preferred approach to teaching literature and their place in curricular decision making. (SLD)

In the context of the growing challenges to public education that have materialized in California over the past decade, this first of two volumes is presented as a resource document for legislators and others interested in education reform. Volume 1 looks at emerging education issues for the 1995-96 legislative session and summarizes the state's…

This study reviewed the context of and activities involved in state-level evaluation of elementary/secondary art education in Minnesota. Four main areas reviewed include: (1) legislation impacting all state-level assessment decisions; (2) curriculum development initiatives as they relate to assessment; (3) a specific state-level assessment…

The nature of Federal and state initiatives with respect to multicultural education is examined, and guidelines and standards for the preparation of school personnel are reviewed. Federal initiatives have focused on preschool, elementary, and secondary education, and states have generally followed the Federal lead through state grants to implement…

In 1991, the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) developed guidelines for presenting age appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education. This publication reports on a 1993 study, using these guidelines as a framework to assess sexuality education curricula and guidelines in the United States. A survey instrument was…

Designed to highlight the progress made by community colleges in the United States in the area of international education, this report presents a collection of materials representing various state and institutional initiatives and efforts. Part I contains articles by Hugh Adams and William Greene, and Maxwell King and Seymour Fersh that provide a…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the problems and issues that emerged as school districts in Pennsylvania tried to implement a strategic planning mandate at the local level. In June 1993, revisions to the Pennsylvania school code changed requirements for graduation from time spent in the classroom to the mastery of 53 state-designated…

Intended to help Arkansas schools implement its 1980 State Basic Skills Improvement Plan, this booklet identifies basic skills to be measured by the state and makes suggestions for incorporating these skills into the curriculum. The first section explains the Educational Assessment Act of 1979 establishing a statewide basic skills assessment…