Reviews criticisms of traditional educational planning; discusses key concepts of new model for education policymaking and strategic planning; discusses changes in roles of national governments required for the development and implementation of the new education planning model; raises several questions about the originality and effectiveness of…

Following the legislature's passage of the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act, the statewide Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership was established. The 700 graduates form a small cadre of activists who are informed about standards-based reforms and how to make them work for their children. (MLH)

In the current context of standards-based reform and heightened accountability for school performance, state education agencies (SEAs) have an important, but not yet well-articulated, role to play in local school improvement efforts. This article starts to articulate such a role by examining the variety of approaches and strategies used by 7 SEAs…

We evaluated the role that social capital among teachers plays in affecting teacher pedagogy in the context of comprehensive school reform (CSR). CSR implementation was designed to change school- and classroom-level processes, including organization and governance, curriculum and instruction, professional development (PD), and parental…

For many years, physical education instructors have been hesitant to include strength training activities in the elementary curriculum. This is a result of confusing and conflicting information regarding the safety and effectiveness of strength training for young children. Recent research published and compiled by well-informed physicians suggests…

This chapter examines community college baccalaureate programs and the controversy surrounding these programs. It also looks at models for the delivery of these baccalaureates, emphasizing their curricular focus in states and colleges across the nation. The chapter concludes with questions that should guide decision makers in enhancing student…

Assessment for learning involves the frequent, continual use of both formal and informal classroom assessments. It can be as simple as requiring students to respond to a lesson-embedded, one-item quiz as a way of gauging student understanding of what is being taught. Ideally, this innovative approach to classroom assessment is based on a careful…

The background to an exciting and probably unique initiative for people with challenging behaviour is described. The Special Projects Team (SPT) was established in the context of increasing knowledge of effective treatment responses, but lack of widespread expertise as well as growing crisis within challenging behaviour services. Unlike previous…

In a field of revolving-door leaders, Thomas W. Payzant is the exception to the rule. Amid the rise and fall of superintendents in city after city, he has led the Boston Public Schools for nearly 11 years. Now, as he prepares to retire, the district offers a rare glimpse of what is possible with stable leadership in urban education. It is a story…

Diversity and social justice-related issues have profound effects on individual development and societal health, including creating positive self-images, growing strong relationships with others, and learning how to contribute to fairness in society. Ideally, social justice education is introduced to children early on. The curriculum presented in…

Education leaders throughout California are playing a key role in creating healthy school environments for the 6 million students in the state's public schools. Recognizing the strong connection between health and learning, they have made significant changes to the nutrition environment in their schools. This article looks at how these…

This study extends previous work on survey validity and reliability by examining how different groups of respondents vary in their answers to survey questions about the policy system. The study uses state-representative data from a five-state study of standard-based reform in mathematics to test how predictive teacher, principal, and district…

The need for appropriate, timely, and increasingly comprehensive career development and education programs continues to escalate. It is interesting that despite the differences in cultures, religions, economies, political systems, and education structures, many countries face similar challenges when designing and implementing career development…

In this article, the author discusses the importance of knowledge management (KM) in the era of the knowledge organization, a place where generating, sharing and storing knowledge is a valued part of the organizational culture. The author enumerates the benefits and barriers of KM, explains the basic approaches to KM and describes what has been…

This article presents a case study of the Roskilde Integration Project designed to enhance the school-readiness of ethnic minority preschool children. The process of implementing the Roskilde Integration Project involved linking a community of practice--consisting of the integration team, educators, and other professionals--with the immigrant…