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Eric.ed.gov – Standards Deviation: How Schools Misunderstand Education Policy. CPRE Policy Briefs. RB-43

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This brief summarizes the findings of a recent book, “Standards Deviation: How Schools Misunderstand Education Policy” (Spillane, 2004), that examines state and local government relations as the standards move from the statehouse to the district policymakers and teachers who attempt to make sense of them. It takes a case study approach, focusing on a single state, Michigan, and strategically sampled school districts. The study is based on empirical data from a four-year examination of approaches to the use of standards in nine Michigan districts between 1992 and 1996. This overview of the study’s findings first frames the subject of standards-based reform, and then moves to a discussion of the Michigan math and science standards. Variation in the progress of standards among districts is explored next, followed by… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Upgrading High School Math: A Look at Three Transition Courses. CPRE Policy Briefs.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Lower-level mathematics courses often become a dead-end for mathematics course-taking among low-achieving students. However, several new upgraded mathematics courses reflecting emerging standards in mathematics are improving students’ chances of taking college preparatory mathematics and raising student achievement. California and New York have created “transition courses” to serve as a bridge between basic and college preparatory mathematics. This document focuses on the nature of instruction in transition mathematics courses, the consequences of student placement in the new transition courses, and the linkages among course type, course content, and students achievement. The findings presented here are based on both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from seven high school in San Diego and San Francisco in California and in Buffalo and Rochester in New York. Schools were chosen which had… Continue Reading