In response to a proposal request from the state, Achieve reviewed the draft of Maryland's Pre-K-8 Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) in Science (dated May 2004). This preliminary report summarizes their findings and also reflects the discussion that followed their presentation to representatives of the Maryland State Department of Education on…

At the request of the Superintendent of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Public School System (MCPS), Achieve conducted an evaluation of the MCPS K-12 Curriculum Frameworks and high school semester exams in English and mathematics. The review was designed to determine how well the MCPS Frameworks and exams align with Maryland state academic…

This book is a resource written for educational leaders who want to successfully restructure and enhance curriculum in schools today. It provides innovative and successful curriculum ideas, including reflective case studies, "Keys to Leadership" sections, curriculum tips, and "Challenge" sections with key issues and questions in every chapter.…

Beginning in 1988, faculty at Towson State University (Maryland) conducted a two-year project intended to integrate the new scholarship on women into selected courses in five community colleges in the Baltimore-Washington area. The project was designed to foster curriculum integration work in community colleges, and created a model described in…

This collection is designed to help educators find outstanding curricula, multimedia resources, and other educational materials that can enhance biodiversity teaching in a variety of settings. The curriculum materials were reviewed by teams comprised of classroom teachers, content experts, and environmental educators. The materials listed in this…

This book brings together whole language and critical pedagogy, reading each in terms of the other and providing a new and politically valuable synthesis of the two. A related aim of this volume is to bring together the community of whole language educators with educators who identify themselves with racial, ethnic, and other groups historically…

This position paper elaborates the Academic Senate's existing positions on distance education and the effective use of technology in instruction. In particular it examines the implications of a 1998 change in the Title 5 regulations governing distance education in California community colleges, especially with regard to instructor-student contact.…

Teachers' philosophy of education influences classroom atmosphere; their ability to help pupils develop a wholesome climate for effective learning is an important contribution to guidance. A look at curriculum and instructional processes may help teachers with classroom discipline. (MH)

Laboratory exercises from five chemistry curricula were examined to determine organization (integration of laboratory work with other parts of a course) and tasks required of students (assessed in terms of inquiry skills and behaviors required for the laboratory work). Implications and suggestions for instruction are included. (Author/JN)

Conducted a survey of 500 public school teachers to determine the extent aging content is incorporated into curricula. Results indicated very few teachers make specific provision for teaching about aging. Almost half of the teachers indicated they would include this area in their curricula if instructional materials were available. (Author)

Compares the effectiveness of an Extended Discretion (ED) laboratory approach (exercising independent judgment) to a BSCS Green Version laboratory program. Results from 10 classes taught by five teachers, each teaching one experimental and one control group, favor the ED approach on a number of measures. (Author/JN)

Topics include: (1) Culture and deep structure of literature curriculum; (2) Literary criticism and educational measurement: towards an evaluation framework; (3) Measuring: knowledge and its application to literary texts, understanding of a literary work, interests, and attitudes; and (4) Evaluating expressed responses to literary works. (RL)

Two feedback forms have been developed to improve communication between curriculum developers and evaluators during a pilot project involving all subject areas in eight Indonesian schools. The first form involves time factors, teacher difficulties, student achievement, and evaluation team comments; the second focuses on diagnosing poorly achieved…

Suggests establishing an advisory committee to obtain input for effective updating and expansion of a communication curriculum; describes the activities of such a committee set up at a community college in Fremont, California. (AEA)