Bullying harms kids in nearly every way imaginable. It disrupts their learning; it causes them to suffer anxiety and depression; and it undermines their feelings of safety and connection to school. New understandings of bullying are based on relationships and connect directly to the growing appreciation of the role of the social climate within…

Classrooms in Bhutan overflow with eager students; however, the teacher supply is often not enough to meet demand. The Bhutan Canada Foundation (BCF) is a Canadian charity working with the Ministry of Education in Bhutan, providing Canadian teachers to remote areas, where they work for a local salary and live in basic conditions The feature of…

This article features Greystone Centennial Middle School, one of two middle schools in Parkland School Division, on the western edge of Edmonton, Alberta. About 500 students attend the school, which encompasses Grades 5-9. It's organized into two "loops": (1) a three-year loop (Grades 5-7); and (2) a two-year loop (Grades 8 and 9). The…

Policy makers are looking for quick fixes to the racial achievement gap, but for the real fix we need to delve beneath the test scores and deal with the social and cultural functions of schooling. How does a student come to respect his "different" neighbours in the face of fear and apprehension about their culture? And how does a social context of…

Despite clear evidence that formative assessment creates vantage points throughout the teaching-learning cycle for both teachers and students, research suggests that teachers are not taking advantage of the full cadre of formative assessment strategies available to them--particularly those that have been associated with improved student learning…

Part of the dominant story of school involves educators entering a community, claiming the ground called "school," and designing and enacting policies, procedures, and programs for the children in the community. Most often they do this in isolation of parents and community members. Because they have professional education, knowledge and…

Really tough ethical dilemmas in a school community come about when core values conflict. So everyone can benefit from paying attention to ethics as both an urgent literacy requirement for students, and as a unifying force in developing positive school culture. Both those reasons lay behind the founding of The Institute for Global Ethics (IGE), an…

Proposes that the primary educational challenge today is to replace the traditional focus on the individual student with concerted investments in relational process. Examines the deficiencies of individualistic educational practices, scholarship supporting the communal basis of knowledge and reason, and signs of change toward cooperative and…

Focuses on how those outside the school can support school improvement. Maintains that the purposes of school improvement determine learning outcomes. Discussion of 10 strategies for supporting school improvement notes the importance of addressing the implicit assumptions that comprise school culture and matching change strategies to type of…

While remaining alert to worthwhile new initiatives, schools must remember that promising practices by themselves are unlikely to make much sustained impact. Good practice must be integrated into a whole-school effort to build coherence and overcome fragmentation. In schools that can do this, and keep a constant focus on student learning,…

The University of Calgary (Alberta) was recognized for adopting competency-based human resource processes that focus on developing and rewarding staff for demonstrating competencies critical to the university's success. Programs and resources were redirected to support staff learning, attendance at learning and development programs increased by…

Evaluative inquiry--systematically gathering and analyzing data for the purposes of judging program or innovation merit, worth or significance and/or supporting ongoing school-based decision making and problem solving--is an option available to educators that is not often used; this despite recent interest in action research and school-based…

Describes school restructuring themes that may be promoted through staff development, including developing a purpose and shared vision, challenging traditional norms of schooling, creating a collaborative school culture, establishing new roles in school governance, and encouraging reflective practice and critical inquiry. Addresses the role of…

The League of Peaceful Schools was formed in Nova Scotia to support schools committed to building a culture of peace. Guided by League facilitators, member schools offer children models for building healthy relationships through service learning and elders programs. Member schools develop discipline policies that are proactive instead of punitive,…

Argues that the role of education should be to shape the whole individual. The culture and organization of schools must change to promote student success and democratic values. The school has failed to be a level playing field for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, and must become an instrument for justice and liberation for the…