Nation at Risk Era
1980s Education Standards
Back to basics movement. Standards-based reform emerging. "A Nation at Risk" sparked accountability movement.
6
Standards
25
Hours/Week
48
Total Skills
8th
Grade Level
Economic anxiety drove concerns about educational quality. Japan and Germany seen as educational competitors.
Key Characteristics
- Back to basics emphasis
- A Nation at Risk (1983)
- Standards movement begins
- Computers enter classrooms
- Whole language vs. phonics debate
Notable Educators
- E.D. Hirsch Jr.
- Theodore Sizer
- Madeline Hunter
Standards by Subject
Pre-algebra course preparing students for high school algebra. Balance of computational skills and problem-solving with growing calculator integration.
Integrated language arts approach combining literature study with reading comprehension skills. Young adult literature gained acceptance.
Process writing approach emerged alongside continued skills instruction. Personal and academic writing balanced with attention to audience and purpose.
American history with increased attention to social history, diverse groups, and everyday life. New social history approaches influenced curriculum.
General or physical/life science course with emphasis on scientific literacy. Balance of content knowledge and process skills.
World geography often integrated into social studies. Emphasis on cultural geography, global issues, and geographic skills.
Saxon Math
Incremental math curriculum with constant review. Developed in 1980s as "back to basics" response.
Rod and Staff Publishers
Traditional workbook-based curriculum emphasizing phonics, grammar, and arithmetic. No frills, rigorous approach.
Classical Conversations
Classical homeschool community program using memorization, discussion, and rhetoric. Based on historical Trivium model.
Memoria Press Classical Curriculum
Complete classical curriculum based on the Trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric). Uses many historical texts and methods.