Education is presently undergoing a paradigm shift, with some teachers, parents, and administrators interested in new ways of thinking about teaching and learning, while others are skeptical or even resistant to new ideas in education. The Whole Language movement, and holistic education in general, is in danger of being tossed aside like the "New Math" of the 1960s. The current shift of paradigm in education can be described as a shift toward "meaning," the energy behind both growth and learning. The influence of the paradigm can be seen in the Whole Language and process writing movements, in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Standards, in hands-on science education, and in the multiple perspectives or meanings in the new social studies. School assessment and evaluation are also changing, with more emphasis on helping teachers and children in the classroom work together in the most productive ways possible. (MDM)