This article examines the current status of dance education in North Carolina. Key issues impacting dance, including public school laws and policies, the impact of state and national accountability movements, graduation requirements, and health initiatives, are identified and described. Specific events that have shaped the status of dance…

To raise the achievement of every student, Maryland designed "Achievement Matters Most," a plan for public schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. Achievement Matters Most supports Maryland schools' efforts to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind…

This study examined reports and programs from across the state, the nation and from international sources to gather a broad selection of published and unpublished environmental education research. A variety of sources were used, such as the internet, interviews with key informants and experts in the field of environmental and sustainability…

This descriptive report examines the strategies of the six Southeast Region states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) to improve high school graduation rates and student achievement and to increase the number of students leaving high school with the skills and knowledge necessary for the twenty-first…

The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is a high-stakes test that public school students must pass to be eligible for graduation from high school. Previous research suggests that high-stakes tests have a differential effect on students by race and ethnicity. This study finds that in one Florida school district African American and…

When faculty members think about curriculum, they think about course content. Debates about general education reflect this focus. Drawing on a case study, this article considers, rather, the politics and process of curricular change. It argues that success in this realm depends on the skill of academic administrators. (Contains 2 figures.)

While nearly all states now have something on their books labeled "alternate route to certification," these programs defy standard definition due to their enormous variability. States differ in the types of candidates allowed to apply (e.g., career changers or recent college graduates) and in the academic backgrounds these individuals must…

This report provides information on the education system of Rwanda, and is designed to assist college admissions officers and registrars in the United States with the admission and placement of students from that country. The report contains general information on the geography, people, and history of Rwanda, as well as more specific information…

This document tabulates extensive and detailed information about the assessment programs of each state. It is the third edition of the database and remains the single best source for information about the student assessments that states conduct. The database is compiled from a survey completed by state directors of assessment. The first section of…

Parental opinion is an important indicator of educational effectiveness. Parent attitudes toward school effectiveness were measured in this survey to determine one school district's strategic plan concerning community involvement. A random sample of 650 households, representing prekindergarten through twelfth grade, were asked about their…

As part of the mandate of the Alberta Government's Student Evaluation Branch to monitor changes in student achievement, the Humanities Diploma Examinations Unit compared the written work from 1984 and the 1990 English 30, Social Studies 30, and English 33 Canadian provincial diploma examinations. Full-length essays written by over 30,000 students…

This booklet outlines policy options that Texas school districts can use to develop consistent credit-granting policies for migrant students who arrive late or withdraw early during the school year. In addition to advocating grading of migrant students consistently and fairly, the goal of the policies is to enhance the graduation rate of migrant…

This digest summarizes selected data from the American Indian supplement to the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Three Indian school types are compared: schools controlled or funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA/tribal schools), public schools with 25 percent or more Indian enrollment (high Indian enrollment (HIE) public…

The Portable Assisted Study Sequence (PASS) is a program of courses which allows migrant students to make up credit deficiencies and continue to accumulate credits as they migrate to other schools. MINI PASS is an extension of PASS for middle school students (MINI is not an abbreviation). This report contains nationwide PASS and MINI PASS usage…

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…