Education & Pedagogy

The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) was developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in the 1960s and 1970s to be the recognized international standard for reporting and interpreting education program data. Creating a U.S. crosswalk to this system has been a goal of research conducted by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement that awaited the revision of the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) system. This publication contains a detailed discussion of the correspondence between U.S. education program databases and classification systems and the ISCED. It includes a crosswalk between ISCED and the 1990 CIP, and crosswalks between the ISCED and educational level classifications used in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the Common Core of Data Survey (CCD), which collects data on primary and secondary education. The "Guide" also presents useful information on U.S. education program data. Technological and methodological considerations are discussed, and crosswalking data at various education levels are considered. An appendix of nearly 100 pages contains the master crosswalk of U.S. and ISCED codes. (SLD)

The guidelines specify principles and procedures for coordinating special services to members of Illinois' limited-English-proficient (LEP) school-age population, including transitional bilingual education and other transitional instructional programs, with other service areas. The first section presents the state board of education's vision statement, mission statement, and goals for public schools. Subsequent sections present guidelines for (1) integration and coordination of services to educationally disadvantaged children (Chapter 1 of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act); (2) integration and coordination with gifted education services; (3) integration and coordination with special education; coordination of vocational education programs for LEP students; (4) and integration and coordination with the Illinois pre-kindergarten at-risk program. The final section offers answers to common questions about coordination of services to the LEP population, including procedures for equalizing access to special programs, the responsibilities of school districts, and referral stages requiring parental involvement or consent. (MSE)

This monograph provides an international perspective on key principles governing the education of children with disabilities and the review of educational provisions. Part A begins with an estimate of the global shortfall in education provision for those with disabilities and identifies principles and strategies for policymakers developing educational services. The principles focus on the rights to an education, to equality of opportunity, and to participation in society. The identified strategies address legislation, administrative support, educational provision, early childhood education, preparation for adult life, parental involvement, training, and research and development. Part B offers guidelines to policymakers and administrators for reviewing the following major elements of special education services: legislation, administration, early childhood education, school provision, transition from school to adult life, professional development, and support services. It suggests 40 key questions for conducting a review, with the questions and accompanying commentary considered to be appropriate for a variety of national systems. (Contains 22 references and suggested readings.) (DB)

This document contains vocational education program courses standards (curriculum frameworks and student performance standards) for exploratory courses, practical arts courses, and job preparatory programs in marketing education offered at the secondary or postsecondary level as a part of Florida's comprehensive vocational education program. Standards are mandated by Florida law. Each program course standard is composed of two parts: a curriculum framework and student performance standards. The curriculum framework includes four major sections: major concepts and content, laboratory activities, special notes, and intended outcomes. Student performance standards are listed for each intended outcome. For secondary job preparatory programs, courses are designated with student performance standards listed for each course. Program and course standards are based upon competencies required for entry, advancement, and upgrading in marketing occupations. Competencies and standards are provided for the following curriculum areas: distribution and marketing, including selling, buying, transporting, storing, promoting, financing, marketing research, and management. Reinforcement of basic skills in English, mathematics, and science appropriate for a job preparatory program is provided through vocational instruction and applied laboratory procedures or practices. (KC)

This Summary Guide to the third Annual Report of the National Education Goals Panel continues the commitment of the Panel to let the American people know the results being achieved in education. Facts about performance are presented, with tangible guidance about what each citizen can do to make the Goals a reality. The National Education Goals developing from the Education Summit of 1989 represent the educational centerpiece of both the Bush and Clinton administrations and serve as a nationwide compact for education. The most recent national assessments indicate that students are showing some improvement in mathematics, but that few understand complex mathematics theory and problems. Similar findings appear in measurements of reading ability. Because only about one-fourth of the nation's households include school-age children, depending on parents alone to improve education is not enough. All concerned citizens must work for better education. Specific suggestions are offered to help make the U.S. education system the best in the world. Five bar graphs illustrate aspects of progress toward the national goals. (SLD)

This strategic plan, based on two years of coordinated interagency effort, presents a five-year planning framework and associated milestones that focus the plans and resources of the participating Federal agencies toward achieving the National Education Goals in terms of the competence in mathematics and science expected of all students. The Plan also identifies three tiers of program activities, presented in descending order of priority, with goals that address issues in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education meriting special attention. Within each tier, individual agency programs play important and often unique roles that strengthen the aggregate portfolio. The following three tiers are discussed: Tier I: Reforming the Formal Education System; Tier II: Expanding Participation Access; and Tier III: Enabling Activities. Implementation of the Plan will require more effective use of extant Federal human and institutional capabilities. Monitoring the progress and performance of activities outlined in the Plan will continue. (PR)

This guide was developed to help administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the business community understand and implement tech prep programs in South Carolina. (Tech prep is a major restructuring strategy designed to meet the needs of students who want to function effectively in a technological workplace and to ensure that students are better prepared to pursue postsecondary education.) The guide is organized in three sections. The first section describes the South Carolina tech prep model, including its mission and vision, components, and anticipated outcome. The second section presents the requirements for a tech prep program, including requirements for a high school diploma and options after high school. In the third section, career planning is addressed. Career clusters are highlighted, and occupational specialty programs in agricultural education, business and marketing education, health occupations education, occupational home economics education, and trade and industrial education are outlined. Eleven appendixes include the following information: funding resources, South Carolina Tech Prep Consortia and map, regional tech prep locations, state-supported technical colleges, state-supported four-year colleges, private colleges, proprietary schools, apprenticeship principles, types of apprenticeships, and 80 information sources. (KC)

This guide was developed to help vocational teacher educators and special teacher educators prepare prospective teachers for work with students with disabilities. The manual is based on 13 topics identified by a panel of national experts in vocational special education and vocational teacher education as most important for teacher trainees to know. The topics cover the following areas of the vocational preparation of students with disabilities: (1) basic problems and needs; (2) historical and legislative issues; (3) characteristics of the major disability categories; (4) model programs; (5) national resources for free or low-cost information; (6) materials; (7) objectives; (8) developing/adapting assessment procedures; (9) developing/modifying instructional materials; (10) developing/modifying instructional strategies; (11) monitoring/evaluating vocational preparation; (12) identifying appropriate accommodations; and (13) the school-to-work transition planning process. The guide contains samples of several course outlines that have been infused, introductory lecture notes, 24 handouts, activity sheets with answers and explanations, 40 transparency masters, and 29 references. (KC)

Whether there is a difference in job satisfaction, self-assessed knowledge of teaching, and ratings of the quality of teacher education programs for graduates of elementary teacher education programs and secondary teacher education programs was studied using the Teacher Education Follow-up Scale of the National Database for Teacher Education Follow-up Studies. Fourteen teacher preparation institutions participated in the follow-up study, although not all used all 4 subscales of the followup instrument. Sample sizes for each subscale ranged from 2,785 to 3,930. Analyses, which included mulitivariate analysis of variance, suggest that there is a difference between graduates of elementary teaching programs and graduates of secondary education programs. Job satisfaction and assessment of program quality were higher for graduates of elementary teaching preparation programs. These results have ramifications for the use and interpretation of data from teacher followups. (Contains two figures, three tables, and nine references.) (SLD)

This transcript reports on a Senate hearing concerning the reauthorization of the Education of the Deaf Act. As well as statements by committee members, the transcript presents statements by and answers to questions of the following: students at Gallaudet University (Washington, DC), students at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (New York), Jordan I. King, president of Gallaudet University; Robert R. DaVila, vice president of National Technical Institute for the Deaf; Judith Heumann, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education; Carol Cichowski, Director, Special Education, Rehabilitation and Research Analysis Division, Department of Education; Ramone Rodriguez, Liaison Office for Special Institutions, Department of Education; Sarah E. Snyder, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf; and Nancy J. Bloch, President, National Association for the Deaf. Additional material includes a chart showing placements of Gallaudet graduates and responses to questions asked by Senators James Jeffords and Tom Harkin. (DB)

This digest suggests how outdoor education and experiential learning can develop in students a sense of community participation and set them on a path of strong participation and civic responsibility. Following definitions of outdoor education and experiential learning, various outdoor and experiential approaches are described. Adventure education encompasses activities that have a certain amount of stress or risk; stimulates development of students' interpersonal competencies, leadership skills, and self-confidence; and nurtures respect for and connections with nature and community. Cultural journalism helps students understand the place where they live, their connections through friends and relatives to others in the past and present community, and the value of community traditions. Closely related to cultural journalism, participatory research involves students and community members in framing and resolving local problems and issues. Participatory research projects promote a sense of justice and activism in social and environmental issues. Service learning provides direct benefits to communities, strengthens school-community bonds, and gives meaning to education for students. (Contains 16 references and 5 resource organizations.) (SV)

This chapter provides an overview of federal education case law and legislation. Currently, there is no Supreme Court education case law applicable specifically to American Indian students. Following brief descriptions of categories of jurisdiction and the structure of the federal court system, the overview summarizes Supreme Court case law applicable to all students and examines potential implications for American Indian students, where applicable. Case law in education falls into the following general areas: (1) discipline (corporal punishment, due process); (2) curriculum (protection of freedom of religion, English-as-a-second-language instruction for limited-English speaking students); (3) student and teacher right of free speech; (4) tort law (responsibility and negligence in education, "in loco parentis" issues, extent of school liability); (5) equity (educational discrimination, integrated facilities, equal educational opportunity); (6) special education (rights of disabled children); (7) finance (equality in school funding); and (8) compulsory attendance. Nineteen federal legislative acts are summarized that provide the legislative foundation of American Indian education. Contains references in endnotes. (SV)

Parental involvement is critical to a child's success in school. This handbook provides parents with information about the Grade 6 curriculum in Catholic schools in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Education "Program of Studies: Elementary Schools," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes Catholic school students in Alberta are expected to demonstrate when they have completed the Grade 6 curriculum, including samples of what students are expected to learn in each subject. Following introductory material, sections include: (1) "What Is Curriculum?"; (2) "Religious Education";(3) "Language Arts"; (4) "Mathematics"; (5) "Science"; (6) "Social Studies"; (7) "Learner Outcomes in Technology"; (8) "Physical Education"; (9) "Health"; (10) "Fine Arts"; and (11)"Languages Other Than English." The handbook concludes with a one-page questionnaire asking for feedback on the handbook. (LPP)

Parental involvement is critical to a child's success in school. This handbook provides parents with information about the Grade 5 curriculum in Catholic schools in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Education "Program of Studies: Elementary Schools," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes Catholic school students in Alberta are expected to demonstrate when they have completed the Grade 5 curriculum, including samples of what students are expected to learn in each subject. Following introductory material, sections include: (1) "What Is Curriculum?"; (2) "Religious Education";(3) "Language Arts"; (4) "Mathematics"; (5) "Science"; (6) "Social Studies"; (7) "Learner Outcomes in Technology"; (8) "Physical Education"; (9) "Health"; (10) "Fine Arts"; and (11)"Languages Other Than English." The handbook concludes with a one-page questionnaire asking for feedback on the handbook. (LPP)

Parental involvement is critical to a child's success in school. This handbook provides parents with information about the Grade 4 curriculum in Catholic schools in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Education "Program of Studies: Elementary Schools," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes Catholic school students in Alberta are expected to demonstrate when they have completed the Grade 4 curriculum, including samples of what students are expected to learn in each subject. Following introductory material, sections include: (1) "What Is Curriculum?"; (2) "Religious Education";(3) "Language Arts"; (4) "Mathematics"; (5) "Science"; (6) "Social Studies"; (7) "Learner Outcomes in Technology"; (8) "Physical Education"; (9) "Health"; (10) "Fine Arts"; and (11)"Languages Other Than English." The handbook concludes with a one-page questionnaire asking for feedback on the handbook. (LPP)