Social studies provides coordinated, systematic study of such disciplines as economics, history, geography, government, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and elements of the humanities. It develops the knowledge, skills, and processes necessary to understand historical and present day connections among diverse individuals and groups. A study of…

This Delaware state content standards booklet for teaching grades 6-8 social studies in Delaware public schools begins with a one page chart outlining information for the disciplines of civics, economics, geography, and U.S. history. The booklet addresses standards for civics, lists end of cluster expectations for the end of grade eight, and cites…

These social studies content standards for the state of Ohio provide a set of clear and rigorous expectations for all students in grades K-12. The seven standards clearly define a balanced program of knowledge and skills necessary for active citizenship. The seven standards are: (1) "Content Standards History"; (2) "People in…

The Social Studies assessment on the Graduation Exit Examination for the 21st Century (GEE) is designed to measure student mastery of Louisiana's social studies content standards. The GEE 21 assesses the mastery of U.S. history from the end of the reconstruction era through the 20th century. Emphasis in high school is on U.S. history from…

This document defines what Kansas students should know and be able to accomplish in civics--government, economics, geography, and history. The document focuses on knowledge and skills related to the human experience and is intended as a framework for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and teacher preparation. In democratic societies, a working…

This curriculum framework exists to guide the fine arts curriculum in grades K-12 in Arkansas public schools. The framework's student learning expectations are specific to what all students in those grades should know and be able to do in the arts (visual arts, music, dance, theater) during that span of years. The framework's content standards…

School administrators and teachers are increasingly relying on sophisticated technology systems to provide support and service in completing their daily tasks in schools. A myriad of tasks associated with operating a school has been affected dramatically over the past few years as computer and telecommunications technologies have been integrated…

These South Dakota fine arts content standards identify what students must know and be able to do. This document is a compilation of numerous sources and many years of experience in the teaching of fine arts. For each discipline (dance, music, theater/dramatic arts, and visual arts) the document gives an introduction and definition, multiple…

This paper presents the alignment of Oregon's content standards with the Certificates of Initial Mastery (CIM), Certificates of Advanced Mastery (CAM), and the Proficiency-based Admissions Standards System (PASS). After some background, a timeline, and definitions of 4 terms used in the paper, it presents charts that align common curriculum goals…

Nevada's academic standards for civics education are predicated on the idea that, to support and benefit from a diverse democratic society, a student must have a fundamental understanding of civic life, politics, and government. When instruction is closely focused on Nevada's civics standards, students gain an understanding of these broad spheres.…

The Benchmark Standards were established by the Massachusetts Department of Education to: bring more districts into the information age; encourage every district in the state to provide an appropriate local infrastructure for information technology; help districts set realistic goals for their Local Technology Plans (LTPs); and ensure that…

The Water in Africa Project was realized over a 2-year period by a team of Peace Corps volunteers, World Wise Schools (WWS) classroom teachers, and WWS staff members. As part of an expanded, detailed design, resources were collected from over 90 volunteers serving in African countries, photos and stories were prepared, and standards-based learning…

The implications of international assessments in setting world-class performance standards are explored. Possible uses of recent international assessments as benchmarks against which to compare the achievement of U.S. students are illustrated. Characteristics of international assessments that affect their usefulness as benchmarks are discussed.…

Explains the need for meaningful performance measures in libraries and the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to data collection. Five tools representing different stages of a TQM inquiry are covered (i.e., the Shewhart Cycle, flowcharts, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and control charts), and benchmarking is addressed. (Contains…

Explores electronic journal usage statistics and develops three metrics and three benchmarks based on those metrics. Topics include earlier work that assessed the value of print journals and was modified for the electronic format; the evaluation of potential purchases; and implications for standards development, including the need for content…