Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Standards as an Educational Reform Tool. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper considers some of the educational standards that have been suggested, and whether standards are useful in the first place. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVEdRef.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Europe and Japan in academic achievement, and suggested that unless the deficiencies in the American educational system were remedied, we would soon be unable to compete successfully in a rapidly
globalizing marketplace. The idea that our public schools are not as good as they could be is not new, but catapulting the issue into the center of the
political arena was. Since the release of the report, every administration has made educational reform a priority (or at least talked about it). But the mechanism for improving
the system remains unclear. This paper considers some of the standards that have been suggested, and whether standards are useful in the first place. In Theory
There are three types of standards generally discussed with regard to education: content standards, performance standards and opportunity-to-learn (OTL) standards (Stites). They are all important to a standards-based
system. "Content standards" "describe the range of desirable knowledge and skills within a subject area" (Stites). In history, for example, content standards would "specify the people, events and ideas
that should be included in the history curriculum (and texts) at each grade level" (Stites). Obviously, then, the content standards are used to develop appropriate course content. "Performance standards"
measure "how much students should know and be able to do" (Stites). These standards tell math teachers, for instance, what "mathematical operations and concepts ... should be mastered at
each grade level as well as the types of assessments that should be used to measure that mastery" (Stites). Opportunity-to-learn (OTL) standards "specify the nature of educational inputs and resources
that are needed to realize expectations for student and school performance" (Stites). OTL standards "might specify the number of hours and quality of instruction ... students should receive before
...