Many Americans assume children's publicly funded education begins with kindergarten. To the contrary, kindergarten is not mandated in all states. Moreover, most kindergarten programs implemented in the public education system are half-day; full-day kindergarten is far less frequent. Access to kindergarten is highly dependent on state, school…

Human resource development (HRD) as a scholarly endeavor and as a practice is often criticized in the adult education (AE) literature and by AE scholars as manipulative and oppressive and, through training and other interventions, controlling workers for strictly economic ends (Baptiste, 2001; Cunningham, 2004; Schied, 2001; Welton, 1995).…

This paper addresses the ethical and social justice implications of an educational movement called, The New DEEL (Democratic Ethical Educational Leadership). In particular, this paper emphasizes the ethical underpinnings of this movement by focusing on the paradox in the form of the dyad of control/democracy. This important paradox is developed…

While no one can predict the future, today's economic and demographic realities suggest the opportunities and challenges that will face America in the years to come. The U.S. economy has already undergone dramatic changes in the latter part of the twentieth century. The extension of product and labor markets has expanded global competition, and…

This paper analyses the measurement issues in education achievement, and integration of education goals and targets, in the context of human development in India. Measurement issues are distinguished by (a) choice of indicators and variables and (b) data used in estimation/projection/computation of indicators and variables in the global human…

This exploratory study describes a teacher educator's efforts to organize her instructional practice around an assessment portfolio mandated by the state and examines the effectiveness of such endeavor. Findings revealed that, when a link between teaching and the required assessment portfolio was created, students' self-efficacy and performance in…

A collaborative partnership provides school administrators and university researchers an opportunity to evaluate a school-based initiative. Richards Middle School (RMS) in Columbus, Georgia identified school improvement goals and involved university researchers in a collaborative evaluation with implications for strengthening leadership, training,…

Software testing is a crucial component in the development of good quality systems in industry. For this reason it was considered important to investigate the extent to which the Information Systems (IS) syllabus at the University of Cape Town (UCT) was aligned with accepted software testing practices in South Africa. For students to be effective…

This article attempts to showcase how one particularly financially endowed organization is seeking to modify its instructional and organizational practice to better serve its Inupiat (Eskimo) target/client population. This is an extreme and instructive situation of socio-cultural tension that provides interesting contrasts with the issues of…

Drawing on the Queensland School Reform Longitudinal Study (QSRLS), this paper documents the assessment practices of about 250 Queensland primary and secondary classrooms and the extent to which they align with those pedagogical practices described as "productive pedagogies" in the research. In considering the extent of this alignment,…

In this article we examine the Israeli Ministry of Education teacher induction program as a paradigm for preservice and in-service induction programs. We stipulate the necessity of creating a bridge between the preservice program and the field, which would allow for collaboration between the pedagogical staff of the teacher preparation programs…

This paper discusses a complex issue: why teacher education input and interventions have limited or no impact in the classrooms. It discusses some practical examples and issues and their implications for teachers' learning and motivation to develop teaching. Analysis of the findings suggests that as teachers re-entered the reality of the school…

The conditions that govern academic research vary greatly from country to country and research in the Republic of Ireland was and remains markedly different from that of its larger European neighbours and the United States. Despite the quality of its education system and the excellent reputation of its universities, until recently Ireland had…

Over the last several years, an understanding has been developing within the literature as to those elements which can best combine to produce increased student achievement within a small school environment. Many see such elements as, relationships, standards, rigor, student engagement, and others as part of a comprehensive whole. What is not…

This technical report describes the development, pilot testing, and revision of a survey instrument designed to measure secondary school teachers' perceptions of their efficacy working with students from diverse backgrounds. A brief review of relevant literature frames the current study in the context of survey development that is technically…