I consider Liam Gearon's critique of what he calls the politicisation and securitisation of religious education, focusing on his criticisms of a European research project, the Religion in Education: a Contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries? (REDCo) project funded by the European Commission…

The Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) at the University of Chicago was founded in 1990, two years after the passage of the Chicago School Reform Act that decentralized governance of the city's public schools. Since then, CCSR has distinguished itself as a unique organization, conducting research of high technical quality that is…

In this article, policy and research on teacher induction in Portugal are examined. The lack of a formal induction system (despite recognition of its relevance in legal policy documents) and the mismatch between national regulations and practice are also discussed. The authors argue the need for a coherent and sustained induction and support…

Analyzes the processes used to evaluate School-centered Innovation programs (SCI) in the United Kingdom. A review of the literature revealed that accounts of most of the programs are not evaluative but mostly anecdotal and descriptive. Limitations of the research on SCI are discussed. (AM)

Suggests that not everything in education has to be evaluated in terms of cognitive outcome measures. Describes a computer-mediated communication project that involved sixth-grade students in a private school in Montreal and slightly older students in a mainly Inuit town in the far northern part of Quebec. Discusses the actual benefits of the…

This paper reflects on an attempt to create and study a professional context for teacher education based on collegiality and mutuality and raises some issues and questions about trends in teacher education reform. The paper begins with a brief review of the rise of alternative approaches in teacher education. Included are examples from educators'…

Reviews findings of selected studies on the effects of different types of preschopl programs and teaching practices on children. (HOD)

Discusses the status of minorities and women in research and the barriers posed by background and institutional factors. Describes a project implemented in a university setting and designed to (1) increase the pool of trained minority and female researchers, and (2) advance research skills by providing training opportunities. (Author/GC)

Offers an overview of The Council of Europe studies of various aspects of social, civic, and political education in secondary schools from 1951-1979. Describes the program, the Council's impact, and outlines plans for the future. (CK)

This report outlines the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 40-member Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers in regard to the Early Head Start Program. This program, introduced in 1995, is designed to provide services to children from birth to age 3 (and their families) who were not previously…

Urges a reassessment of research on graduate programs in art education produced by Anderson, Eisner, and McRorie (1998). Asks how master's programs centered on studio art will produce teachers capable of meeting new national standards, and how highly specialized doctoral programs will produce people capable of teaching K-12 instructors. (DSK)

Urges a reassessment of research on graduate programs in art education produced by Anderson, Eisner, and McRorie (1998). Suggests that a few key findings of the study may be overstated or, at least, underinformed. Emphasizes a number of key problems with art teacher education illuminated by the study. (DSK)

This paper discusses evaluating Limited-English-proficient (LEP) teacher training and inservice programs. It is suggested that this kind of teacher training can provide teachers with assistance necessary to increase the academic performance of linguistically and culturally diverse students. The history of teacher education evaluation, particularly…

This British report demonstrates the importance of early learning as a preparation for effective education to promote social welfare and social order, and to develop a world-class workforce. It shows how countries benefit from providing good preschool education for children. Chapter 1 summarizes the case for the systematic public provision of high…

Educational researchers are increasingly using design as a means of advancing their understanding. Historically design in educational research has served as a way to implement theories for testing. The emerging design research paradigm treats design as a strategy for developing and refining theories. In this article, I discuss the lessons that can…