The paper attempts to explore the activating strategies to fossilizations for Chinese EFL learners. Fossilization, although always being ignored in China, still exerts its important role in blocking the EFL learning process for Chinese learners. To overcome this learning barrier, this paper is written to put forward the practical solutions to…

The authors' of the previous January 2009 report "50+1: A Federal Agenda for New York City" suggested a wide-ranging urban policy agenda for an administration that, both by political inclination and the life experiences of its leader and many top officials, promised to be more sympathetic to the needs and priorities of cities than any…

How can we systemically improve the quality of classroom instruction and the learning and achievement of students? In an era when isolated examples of excellence are not good enough, we need systems that support improvement and excellence for all. This book describes how systems can effectively engage in this complex, challenging, and crucial…

The complexity of literacy coaching can be daunting. Coaches face a huge set of responsibilities as they work with teachers to improve practice and increase student learning. From mentoring new teachers to conducting demonstration lessons to facilitating professional development meetings, coaches get pulled in many directions at once. This…

This article features Mapleton Public School District, located in Adams County, Colorado. In policy and practice, the school system in Mapleton has committed to a positive, long-term institutional legacy by developing future leaders. In fall 2007, Mapleton's board of education unanimously passed a simple, single sentence aimed at maintaining…

This cross-national empirical study examines superintendents' professional learning and leadership in Sweden and the United States. Based on a sociocultural perspective, the study highlights the superintendents' preferences for collaborative forms of learning for enhancing their professional knowledge and for building organizational capacity.…

This article discusses a dilemma that confronts reformers who seek to improve the education system yet operate from a position outside that system. On one hand, "external" reformers have found that the implementation of school-level programs is attenuated by a lack of coherence and support in schools' environment. Districts and states…

Mentoring is a promising approach to promote healthy development and prevent poor youth outcomes; however, bad mentoring experiences have yielded negative results. Thus, it is critical that youth service providers take heed of the current research and resources for establishing an effective youth mentoring program. Given the increased interest in…

Changing times in teacher education has been a long mantra and many changes have been occurring globally in this sector of higher education. In South Africa teacher education change has been linked to changes in the broader education processes and includes policy changes and the development of regulatory frameworks which all impacted on practice…

This article discusses the revised Northern Ireland Curriculum which will be fully implemented across all key stages by June 2010. The revision gives schools greater flexibility with statements of minimum entitlement for subject strands replacing detailed subject programmes of study. Teachers are encouraged to promote a cross-curricular approach…

This article contains a compendium of dropout prevention resources. Resources include organizations, web resources and tools, and reports and studies.

Today's challenging economy affects everyone, including APPA and its member institutions. In such trying times, institutions and organizations need strong leadership, optimism, and a willingness to revisit basic principles--and that is exactly what Polly Pinney plans to bring to APPA as its new President. Her theme for her presidential year,…

Studying democracy, and doing so critically, while striving to live it presents a peculiar and special charge to public education. As John Goodlad suggested, for teacher educators and in-service educators, this charge brings with it a responsibility to stand as stewards of public education and, hence, the most noble traditions of democracy in…

In order to protect indigenous/traditional knowledge, intellectual property law must be leveraged in a way that is responsive to the dynamic inter-relationships between law, society and culture. Over the last decade, increased attention to Indigenous concerns has produced a wealth of literature and prompted recognition of the diverse needs of…

With consumerism changing students to customers and teachers to service providers, ever more vulnerable and naive students enroll and, instead of collaboration between institutions, there is competition. There has been a call in the literature to face these challenges through ethical leadership in universities. Specifically, concern has been…