This article will put forth an introductory argument and evidence for school non-completion as a form of biopower, and school dropout to be considered a form of biopolitical youth resistance in the United States (US). Beginning with a brief overview of the empirical relationship of education to health and current graduation rates in the United…

This article, based on six years of participant observation, provides a close-up view of two learning communities in an urban elementary school. It provides a case study of both learning communities, laying out how teachers participating in them learned to respond differently to difficult problems and dilemmas, to change their language and…

From the 1980s to the present, educational accountability in the United States has grown dramatically. Such accountability in U.S. school districts, although driven primarily by external demands, has internal manifestations as well. The chapter traces the historical development of internal evaluation in American school districts, then highlights…

A grounded theory following an emerging design was completed in this study to identify the impact of program changes resulting from accreditation decisions on faculty culture in one department of a teacher preparation program at a university in the north-central area of the United States. The seven focus group participants agreed that faculty…

Bangladesh's urban population is rising fast. In the capital, Dhaka, some 4 million people live in slums. They are lacking in wealth, power and social connections; probably under-counted in national surveys; and under-served by both government and non-government organisations, many of whom still see poverty as a rural issue or see the urban poor…

Even the most cursory look at the current administration's approach to performance pay reveals a noteworthy story. Unlike all of his Democratic predecessors--and some of his Republican ones--President Obama not only appreciates the value of differentiating the compensation of teachers based on a effectiveness, he has put energy and money behind…

On September 2, 2010, the U.S. Department of Education announced the winners of the $350 million Race to the Top Comprehensive Assessment Systems Competition: the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SMARTER). In his announcement, Secretary of Education Arne…

The core purpose of the Interstate Survey series is to survey statistically representative statewide samples and report the "levels" and "gaps" of voter opinion, knowledge, and awareness when it comes to K-12 education and school choice reforms--particularly with respect to state performance, education spending, graduation…

The challenge of creating evidence-based practice bedevils a number of fields. In education, the federal government has historically placed substantial responsibility for translational research in the hands of the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs), which were established in 1966 as part of the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act…

The California Voting Rights Act of 2001 had the effect, among others, of granting standing for "protected classes" disadvantaged by at-large school board elections to sue their school districts for lack of appropriate representation. This has generated increased legal action along these lines, particularly among Latino communities that…

Which states are using which turnaround models, as represented in the recent U.S. Department of Education's "Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act?" A search for state-level policies on turnaround models was completed based on the targeted states list provided. According to US Department…

Teach for America (TFA) is perceived as a major player in the education wars over the future of public schools, and a key ally of those who disparage teacher unions and schools of education, and who are enamored of entrepreneurial reforms that bolster the privatization of a once-sacred public responsibility. But what exactly is TFA's role in these…

The period from the late 1970s to the late 1980s were transition years for most public(government) school systems in Australia. A reaction was developing against the neo-progressive and radical (neo-Marxist) innovations of the late 1960s and 1970s such as school-based curricula, activity methods, and "open education". By the early 1980s…

Recognizing the interrelated nature of the standards movement, school finance litigation, and student outcomes, this study investigates the relationship of school funding and the specific outcome measure of cohort graduation rates in 16 Southern states that comprise the Southern Region Education Board (SREB). Research indicates that Southern…

This paper draws attention to the political economy of embodiment: how, as symbolic and economic capital intersect, particular characteristics, forms and expressions of corporeality are "produced", nurtured, resourced and subsequently ascribed value as "ability", in and outside schools. The analyses suggest that increasing…