People dislike the Common Core for several different reasons, and so it is important to disaggregate the sources of opposition and to assess and then to dispel some of the myths that have built up around it. It also is important to understand the unusual political alliances that have emerged in opposition to Common Core implementation and how they…

In this essay, the author reviews "Education Reform in New York City: Ambitious Change in the Nation's Most Complex School System," by Jennifer A. O'Day, Catherine S. Bitter, and Louis Gomez. The book under review explores a larger set of issues, and some time has passed. But many of the issues studied remain relevant and the consistent…

This critical essay discusses the challenges and prospects for the reform of school-based literacy programs. It begins with an overview of the effects of a decade of test-driven accountability policy on research and teachers' work, noting the continuing challenges of new demographics, cultures and technologies for literacy education. The case is…

Five years after the Government announced plans to replace the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), the author anticipates the arrival of the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). Now the new Qualifications and Credit Framework is a reality. The regulatory arrangements for the QCF came into force on 1 September 2008 and the…

A theory of policy implementation, as opposed to policy results, would allow analysts to estimate how government programs would actually work. To help achieve such a theory, a general framework is presented along with testable propositions about the implementation of federal programs. Implementation is defined as including two components: the…

This article provides an analytical framework that not only explains the contradictions in the relationship between decentralization and development, but also facilitates constructive debate about decentralization's role in development. It also reviews the extent, form, and impact of recent decentralization policies and programs in less developed…

Notes that the Indiana State Reading Association was one of three state reading associations recognized by the International Reading Association. Describes Phase One and Two of the Five Star Policy Recognition Program Award presented to states and provinces that have adopted and implemented policies that support effective instruction for all…

Reviews arguments and experiences with school choice. Raises some strong cautions about the implementation of choice programs, questioning whether enhanced parental choice would cure the ills of the public school system. (SR)

Outlines U.S. national initiatives for local governments over the last few decades. Offers a picture of what the implications of these policies would be if carried out fully in Britain. Discusses whether the U.S. system for addressing local economic development concerns offers a better model and what really are the requirements for its…

Discusses some effective program features, and some of the current issues facing teachers of language minority students, in their attempts to implement an effective literacy program in Texas. (SR)

As this paper demonstrates, studying abortive educational reforms reveals a great deal about the complex political dynamics involved in making (and unmaking) key policy decisions. Using case studies of France and West Germany, the paper argues that the state in advanced industrial countries tends to maximize the political gains derived from…

Arguing that whole language must assume a more critical edge if it is to reach its potential as a force for positive change, this book calls on educators to take action to protect themselves against threats from within and outside the whole language movement. Noting that the most obvious challenges are from critics who offer simplistic solutions…

Although educational planning as it is now practiced has many shortcomings, if certain recommendations are followed, a more adequate profile of educational planning is possible. A number of criticisms of educational planning have been offered: It usually attempts to preserve the status quo; it is hierarchical in nature; it is preoccupied with the…

Discussion of conditions that combine to influence the selection and implementation of instructional development as an approach to solving educational problems in developing nations focuses on prevailing traditions, economics, and internal and external politics. (MBR)

Presents a detailed examination of six international educational satellite systems whose characteristics are relevant to primary and secondary education in Australia. Political, social, economic, and technological factors are included in the discussion of how satellite technology can be implemented in Australia. (Author/LRW)