The issue of freedom of speech on college and university campuses has captured the interest of the nation and attracted considerable media attention. As board members and institutional leaders address the difficult questions that arise in relation to this controversial issue, they need to balance the competing tensions between individual freedom…

Herein, we address the reformation of Ontario early learning. Over the next 3 years, all 4- and 5-year-olds in Ontario (Canada) will be able to attend full-day early learning with child care, before and after school provided by the Government of Ontario Ministry of Education. The benefits of such a change are both academic and societal and are…

In a 2012 paper for the Center for American Progress, "The State of Evaluation Reform," Patrick McGuinn (Drew University) identified the opportunities and challenges facing education agencies in Race to the Top (RTTT) grant-winning states as they prepared for the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems. The 2012 study undertook…

Although the National Association of School Nurses has proposed a ratio of one nurse to 750 regular education students, some nurses are responsible for several thousand students. Good nursing practice in schools is based on five areas of responsibility (assessment, education, planning, implementation, and evaluation) and a multifaceted role for…

School improvement literature focuses on the early stages of the change process and neglects actions to ensure its permanence. This article reviews research on institutionalization and the management of change in schools and develops a model for managing performance dips. Change facilitators must create administrative support and understanding,…

By addressing bullying issues, school personnel may prevent more serious violent behavior. This article reviews bullies' and victims' characteristics and describes a school-based intervention plan for managing bullying behavior on the playground and classroom, educating parent/teacher organizations and counselors, and publicizing and implementing…

Theater participation aids students in several areas, including self-expression, self-development, self-understanding, self-esteem, self-discipline, analytical skills, empathy, human understanding, and competition. Balance between academics and the arts is essential if students are to be prepared to live well-rounded, meaningful lives in the…

There are three reasons that specially designed instruction at the high-school level is improperly delivered: teachers may not understand the requirements, know how to make appropriate accommodations, or follow what has been outlined. Scheduling mismatches and failed behavior-management implementations are additional factors. Planning ahead avoids…

School administrators must determine that change objectives are met and positively influence students, teachers, staff, and community. Principals who include entire staff in all change phases will increase teacher confidence and trust. Encouraging parents to be involved in committee work will give them the same feelings of ownership that teachers…

As Mississippi's experience shows, there are five necessary stages for staff development: preplanning (forming a committee), planning, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance. This article examines each phase, provides checklists, and highlights the principal's responsibility during each phase. (eight references) (MLH)

Identifies factors distinguishing fast-starter from slow-starter schools during the first year of the Memphis Restructuring Initiative, which follows a "cell-division" implementation model. Startup is enhanced by strong administrative leadership; a restructuring model matching schools' current beliefs; curricula aligned with state…

Discusses a case study connected with research into the introduction of school development plans commissioned by Warwickshire (England) Local Education Authority. Illustrates the time, energies, and tensions experienced by key actors involved in fusing the centrality of pupils' learning with the business of post-Education Reform Act management.…

To support educational reforms, new assessments must stress the performance of complex, holistic tasks, not snippets of performance in segments, elements, or chunks of complex tasks. Sidebars present helpful guidelines for developing staff and creating an assessment. Assessments can assume numerous shapes, including budgeting activities,…

Principals desiring to develop a school-uniform policy should involve parents, teachers, community leaders, and student representatives; beware restrictions on religious and political expression; provide flexibility and assistance for low-income families; implement a pilot program; align the policy with school-safety issues; and consider legal…

After implementing changes in language arts instruction, the principal--who is in a key position to sustain or institutionalize the changes--faces several responsibilities. Factors involved in directing innovations to become "built in" to school programs include solving specific problems, sharing decision-making responsibilities, upgrading and…