A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Creating Standards and Building Frameworks

OERI is funding the development of voluntary national content and performance standards in seven subjects. Content standards state what every child should know and be able to do. Performance standards state how well a child should demonstrate knowledge and skills. See the examples.

The voluntary national education standards for science, history, the arts, civics and government, geography, English language arts, and foreign languages will provide the benchmarks that states and local school districts can use as guidance as they develop their own curricula. The first of these voluntary standards will be ready in early 1994. Mathematics standards, developed independently by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, are already available.

States and local districts will develop the practical methods reflecting local needs so that students, aided by parents, teachers, and administrators, can reach these standards. Curriculum frameworks that outline how subject matter is articulated across grades are part of this process.

Although California was the first to base state-wide reform efforts on descriptions of the content students should learn, other states have since begun this process.

OERI has given grants to 23 states to develop curriculum frameworks. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia will develop frameworks to revamp mathematics and science in the classroom. Six states will develop frameworks in English, history, geography, civics, or the arts, and seven will develop multidisciplinary frameworks in these subjects. See the chart below for states and subjects.

Curriculum frameworks act as curriculum designers' blueprints for developing in detail the classroom level materials and lessons for a single subject or a combination of subjects. OERI framework grants will also allow states to redesign their teacher preparation and licensing approaches. The projects will develop the frameworks through a consensus-building process involving public and private schools, business, government, and the public.

These projects will produce frameworks that states can share with each other and with other educators nationwide. Although the aim is for the writers of frameworks to use national and state standards as their guides, each state will develop its own frameworks to match its own needs and population.

For more information on the specific projects or on standards development, call FIRST at 202-219-1496.

States Funded by OERI to Develop Curriculum Frameworks

SUBJECTS                        STATES 
   
              AK  AR  AZ  CO  CT  DC  DE  FL  LA  MA  ME  MI
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Arts              X           X
Civics &      X   X                   X
 Govt
English           X                                       X
Geography     X   X       X   X       X                   X
History       X   X                   X
Multidisci-   X   X           X       X
 plinary*
Math/Science  X   X   X           X   X   X   X   X   X   X


SUBJECTS                        STATES 
   
              MN  MT  ND  NE  NJ  NY  OH  OR  RI  VT  WI   
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Arts          X   X       X           X           X   X
Civics &                                          X   X
 Govt            
English           X   X                           X   X
Geography                                         X   X
History                                           X   X
Multidisci-       X                               X   X
 plinary*
Math/Science              X   X   X       X   X       X
* Multidisciplinary projects are in the subjects listed above. Mathematics/science awards are separate.
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