The idea that validity should be considered a property of inferences, rather than of assessments, has developed slowly over the past century. In early writings about the validity of educational assessments, validity was defined as a property of an assessment. The most common definition was that an assessment was valid to the extent that it…

The global economy has "flattened" the world in terms of skills and technology. A new workforce of problem-solvers, innovators, and inventors who are self-reliant and able to think logically is one of the critical foundations that drive innovative capacity in a state. The K-12 (kindergarten through grade 12) education system, with the…

This book is intended to serve as a stimulus for discussion of what is needed to provide all American children with a world-class education opportunity and to make education a top priority in every state and the country as a whole. A range of contributors offer a diverse number of possible solutions to the current educational crisis in American…

This book, the first volume of the paperback versions of the "The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, Third Edition," takes a look at the field from a broadly theoretical perspective, and is composed of the Handbook's Parts I ("Locating the Field"), II ("Major Paradigms and Perspectives"), and VI ("The Future of Qualitative Research"). "The…

This article presents a critical analysis of language ideologies in the instructional discourse of Spanish for heritage speakers in the United States. We focus on the discourse present in prefaces and introductions to Spanish for heritage speakers textbooks published between 1970 and 2000. Whereas previous research on language ideologies in…

The trajectory of the Roma is illuminating for understanding the social situation of other minorities, but also for a set of issues concerning the multiculturalism present within states. In this article, the author discusses the context of Roma education--marked by the stateless and marginalized status of the Roma--and provides a brief history of…

This article reviews implementation of the school choice and supplementary educational services provisions contained in the No Child Left Behind Act. School district progress, resistance, and obstacles to implementation are discussed and a number of practical remedies to improve implementation of school choice and supplemental educational services…

This book describes how and why educational choice movements will affect public education. It uses a public-choice approach to argue that both the supporters and opponents of private and school choice have failed to address several critical issues. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 is devoted to the rationale for contracting out…

This book interprets the framework of political ideas and beliefs that structure individual and collective thinking about educational policies and give them meaning. The analysis begins with the state of education in the mid-19th century and brings up to date the prospective reforms of the early 1990s. The study argues that, from its foundation,…

This paper examines the status and history of Chicano studies as an academic field of study. The paper describes the development of Chicano studies in terms of philosophical foundations, identifying the Chicano community, curriculum development, and institutional support. The genesis, shaping, and direction of Chicano studies were largely in the…

This paper discusses the role of black cultural centers on university campuses, focusing on whether black cultural centers or multicultural centers best meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body and society. It examines the historical role of black cultural centers as vehicles to promote educational opportunity, student retention, and…

This book was written to raise educators' consciousness and to encourage their active participation in the politics of everyday life in schools, educational systems, homes, and communities. Authors in nine chapters document and interpret the political action and inaction of educators in various settings. Contents include the following: (1)…

This study sought to ascertain how the press covers higher education and how public research universities work with the press to advance their agendas. It examined the coverage that eight newspapers devoted to six public research universities, namely the Universities of Pittsburgh, Colorado (Boulder), Minnesota, California (Berkeley), and…

This book examines the phenomenon of "political correctness" in higher education and argues that it is a powerful conspiracy theory created by conservatives and the media who have manipulated resentment against leftist radicals into a backlash against a fictional monster, political correctness. The first chapter describes in detail the…

As part of a multi-nation research project on the institutionalization of political economy in European, Japanese, and North American universities, the 14 essays in this volume explore the roots of academic economics in the United States during the 19th century. The organization of the essays is designed to show the catalytic role economists…