The purpose of this article was twofold. First, the assessment materials from four core reading programs were informally reviewed for their adherence to Texas Reading First progress monitoring guidelines for kindergarten and the beginning of Grade 1. Conclusions support existing concerns regarding the variability in the quality and quantity of…

Teacher professional learning and development has recently come to the fore in Scotland as the government and bodies representing teachers view professional development and learning as important ingredients in the renewal of the profession in the context of the post-"McCrone Report" arrangements for teacher conditions of service and…

Despite the multifaceted role language plays in promoting direct and indirect violence, activities that would develop the linguistic knowledge and critical language skills for understanding how discourse shapes individual and group beliefs and prompts social action are conspicuously absent from peace education. This article aims to address this…

P. L. Thomas provides a framework for discussing plagiarism and calls on us to avoid overly simplified policies. After considering various perspectives on intent and the purposes of documentation, Thomas advocates developing standard definitions and guidelines for plagiarism in the department or the classroom. We should also offer professional…

Recent involvement in teacher education policy around a proposed stand-alone phonics course in Mississippi revealed important guidelines for researchers aiming to influence policy, including (a) build relationships with policy makers; (b) help to define problems by framing issues and proactively put forth solutions rather than waiting to respond…

The research question for this paper is: How can we mobilise robust hope in the analysis of teacher education policy? Specifically, this paper asks how a robust hope framework might speak to the "Top of the Class," a report into teacher education by the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational…

This article highlights issues associated with the use of the differential functioning of items and tests (DFIT) methodology for assessing measurement invariance (or differential functioning) with Likert-type data. Monte Carlo analyses indicate relatively low sensitivity of the DFIT methodology for identifying differential item functioning (DIF)…

Homebound instruction involves the delivery of educational services within a student's home. Examples include academic instruction, speech and language therapy, and physical therapy. Initially seen as a service option for very young or frail children with disabilities, homebound instruction is currently being accessed by a variety of student…

At least historically, undergraduate research supervision has predominantly been seen as part of the basic research function of academic staff. In many fields of study, success in research requires not only sophisticated experimental and analytical skills, but good mentoring and managerial skills as well. This paper presents an observational case…

One-child households have doubled over the last two decades making it one of the fastest growing family units in America. The author aids families in understanding the common traits of many adult "onlies"--like shyness, perfection, and intolerance--so that they can better prepare for potential outcomes. He also celebrates the positive qualities of…

The "Facilities Performance Indicators Survey" ("FPI") supersedes and builds upon the two major surveys APPA conducted in the past: the Comparative Costs and Staffing (CCAS) survey and the Strategic Assessment Model (SAM). The "FPI" covers all the materials collected in CCAS and SAM, along with some select new data points and improved survey…

The purpose of this study was to describe and compare student learning documented using written field experience summary narratives and occurring in community-based or school-based locations. Utilizing a hybrid portraiture--instrumental case study design, two researchers selected participants from undergraduate educational psychology courses using…

The adoption of the Bologna process has influenced the development of quality assurance across many countries in Europe. In particular, the implementation of the Framework for Qualifications in the European Higher Education Area has stimulated discussion about the three cycle model, which uses generic descriptors for each cycle based on learning…

Few things are more important for school safety and security than controlling access to buildings and grounds. It is relatively easy to incorporate effective access control measures in new school designs but more difficult in existing schools, where most building and site features cannot be readily altered or reconfigured. The National…

As a Response to Intervention approach begins to be utilized in our schools, there is growing confusion regarding the role of teacher assistants/paraeducators in this problem solving approach. In this article, the authors share survey and interview data from their experiences working with Rhode Island teacher assistants--both in leading teacher…