| The purpose of this study was to conduct a thorough evaluation of the international studies program at an urban middle school and compare the school's curriculum goals to selected principles of international, global, and multicultural curricula as outlined by Lynch (1989), Banks (1994), Tye & Tye (1992) and other scholars in the field. The focus was to determine if the goals of the school's program were appropriate and to determine the extent to which the school accomplished its goals.;This study was important because it represented an evaluation of the effectiveness of an international magnet school that had never been evaluated, thus providing a procedure or model for future evaluations; it can help local educators at Fairview International Relations School for Tomorrow (FIRST) make informed program decisions; and it added to the field of curriculum evaluation of international studies programs at the secondary level.;This researcher was interested in how students, staff and parents at an urban middle school (7-8) made meaning of the school's international studies curriculum. The researcher, a participant observer, employed qualitative methodology using classroom observations, interviews, document searches, and a survey instrument. The researcher conducted observations of seventh and eighth grade classrooms, interviewed seventh and eighth grade teachers, and interviewed only eighth grade students who had the benefit of the international program for two years. These students included low, average, and high achievers and included the international student population.;What the researcher found was that most of the regular students (non-international) felt they received a good education. Neither students or parents described the curriculum in the context of international education. The teachers' views regarding the school's international theme ranged from being totally committed to international education to little commitment to the program. |
