This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study that examined the extent and types of challenges to curriculum in California school districts. A survey of school districts conducted in 1990 yielded 421 usable responses. The second survey, sent in 1991, elicited 379 responses, a 37.5 percent response rate. Findings indicate that the number…

Grounded in an in-depth study of the politics and practice of a single curriculum, "Facing History and Ourselves" (FHAO), this book integrates a close-up look at the classroom with a broader discussion of educational theory and policy. Study of the daily practice of the FHAO curriculum in a multiracial alternative and urban middle school…

In the fall of 1989, the president of Massachusetts' Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) called for volunteers to serve on a General Education (GE) Task Force which would review the state of GE at the College. The task force conducted a literature search and surveys of BHCC faculty and students, as well as other community colleges. The result of…

In 1988-89 the Connecticut Vocational-Technical School System initiated a program for the ongoing review and upgrading of all trade and academic curricula used in the system's 17 schools to insure that each curriculum is consistent with current standards. Every 3 years the Curriculum Steering Committee for the trade or academic subject conducts a…

This digest discusses the integration of Mexican-American history and culture into social studies curriculum. Teaching Mexican-American history and culture is a means of improving educational attainment among Mexican-Americans, of developing "ethnic literacy" among all students, and helping them understand their uniqueness while…

A major statewide survey was conducted to establish comprehensive, baseline information regarding arts education in the public school districts of Arizona. This report documents the findings and serves as a standard against which to measure future changes as well as a guide or starting point for responsible planning in order to effect intelligent,…

This document features the program level and model learner outcomes established by the state of Minnesota for international education. These outcomes are a series of statements that define the scope and breadth of study of international education, and it is intended that educators and curriculum specialists integrate these outcomes into all…

Ten randomly-chosen U.S. American Library Association (ALA) accredited programs which grant the first professional degree in library and information science (LIS) were studied to determine to what degree, and in what manner, 15 information technologies (ITs) based on computers have been incorporated into the curricula. The method of study included…

The teachers' stories in this book present ways of assessing children and curriculum that are embedded in everyday classroom life. Assessment here refers to teachers' informal ways of observing and documenting development and learning. Seven chapters include: (1) "Framing the Ways" (Celia Genishi), about the importance of story for conveying…

The expansion of higher education in the 1960s from an elite to a mass activity has led inevitably to a demand that higher education be responsive and accountable to the wider community. There are several approaches to evaluation of quality and economic effectiveness in higher education institutions and programs. In the mid-1980s, Australia's…

This report focuses on assessing the quality of undergraduate education. A framework for thinking about the topic is provided, followed by a discussion of the ways in which the educational context is typically organized and student achievement is typically measured, with suggestions for new indicators and measures. The significance of contexts and…

The School Reform Assessment (SRA) project began in 1987 with the objective of developing indicators of student coursework that reliably and validly measure this central feature of schooling, while remaining sensitive to major policy changes and the information needs of policymakers, and efficiently collecting and reporting data. This paper…

Writing courses which incorporate the tenets of "critical literacy" (such as the "difference" curriculum at the University of Texas at Austin) not only often fail to make students more aware of the role ideology plays in their culture, but also create profound new silences in the classroom--silences caused by political…

This report summarizes and compares the views of six experts in music education concerned with teaching music for students' conceptual understanding at the elementary level. Three music professors and three public school music teachers teaching at the elementary level engaged in comprehensive written exercises and extensive interviews with…

This report examines whether a high school curriculum organized around the five "new basics" suggested by the National Commission on Excellence in Education is likely to enhance student achievement. Data from the ETS Growth Study reveals that completion of the core curriculum has sizable effects on senior-year test performance, even when…