RtI refers to a specific set of interventions to support students who struggle to make progress in the general education settings. Fuchs and Deshler emphasized that teachers need to understand the conditions and contextual factors of RtI within a school district that may influence its implementation. Implementing these reforms requires ongoing…

Educating children with disabilities alongside their peers in mainstream preschools has increased intensely over the past few years, affecting all aspects of early childhood education. Many children who previously would have been educated in segregated special centres are now being included in inclusive preschools. This research paper discusses…

Background: A number of neurogenetic syndromes have a high association with special educational needs including fragile X syndrome (FXS), Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), Williams syndrome (WS) and Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome (VCFS). There is a paucity of research on educational provision for children affected by these syndromes. Method: Parents…

This paper aims to (re)engage ESL with the broader literacy debate, by calling for a better recognition of what literacy means for second language learners within contemporary Australian education systems, and acknowledging the specialist professional knowledge that ESL teachers bring to the mainstream. The literacy debate that has shaped so much…

In these complicated new times, many new teachers begin their careers in urban and other schools with increasingly diverse student populations. And as people know, many new teachers leave those schools--and some leave teaching altogether--after just a few years in the field. In today's world, policy makers, politicians, educational leaders, the…

An attitudinal resistance among teachers regarding the inclusion of children with disabilities is well documented in the literature. Studies collectively highlight two specific areas that contribute to this resistance. First, a lack of teacher knowledge or preparedness for meeting the diverse needs of children with disabilities stimulates…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) The Teacher Factor: Great Teachers Are the Key to Real…

This issue of the Center's "Systems Newsletter" will be the last one published under the aegis of Dr. JoyceVanTassel-Baska, the Center's founder and current Executive Director. As of this August Dr. VanTassel-Baska will officially retire from the College of William and Mary and the Center. She will still be an integral part of the Center…

The progressive agenda of science education reform, particularly the goal of promoting student inquiry, places substantial intellectual demands on teachers. If this reform is to succeed, the education community must do more to appreciate and address its demands. This paper presents three examples of high school physics teachers' conversations…

Basic reading proficiency is key to success in all content areas, but attending to students' literacy development remains a challenge for many teachers, especially after the primary grades. "Knowledge to Support the Teaching of Reading" presents recommendations for the essential knowledge about the development, acquisition, and teaching of…

Increasing numbers of international students studying health sciences in Australia necessitates research into appropriate ways to support cultural diversity in teaching. International students commonly face problems in adapting to culturally different education and health care systems and this complicates the development of the discipline specific…

Noting the importance of middle school teachers paying attention to the changes in their students' development, in understanding the challenges that lay ahead of these adolescents, and in listening to what adolescents say, this book describes what middle school teachers should know when teaching early adolescents. The book presents background…

New approaches to career and technical education (CTE) create new roles for career educators, including providing career awareness, counseling, guidance, and self-education. Career educators must understand and reflect upon career development theories; teaching and learning strategies; school-to-work practices; school/business linkages; and…

This is a record of the proceedings of the 30th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). The theme of the conference is "Mathematics: Essential research, essential practice." The theme draws attention to the importance of developing and maintaining links between research and practice and…