The Nature and Limits of Standards-Based Reform and Assessment

Twelve academics, researchers, educational administrators, and authors from the U.S. and Canada contribute 13 essays providing readers with an overview of the origins and development of standards-based educational reform (SBER) and assessment; a description of SBER's essential elements; and a critical analysis of the means and ends of what may be the most important reform effort ever experienced by schools in the U.S. The text was originally published in hard cover in 2004 as the fourth volume of the "Defending Public Schools" series; the paperback edition now makes the text available to a wider audience of administrators, teachers, policymakers, and concerned parents. The text has undergone no revisions for the 2008 reprint. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)