A Physical Education Development Group (PEDG) was responsible for constructing a new school subject curriculum, Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), in Ireland. This paper provides an insight into this development group and explores the process of curriculum development, and the influence of roles and power-ratios within the group, in…

This is part of a larger ethnographical study concerning how school development in a local educational context sets cultural and social life in motion. The main data "in this article" consists of semi-structural interviews with teachers (facilitators) who have the responsibility of carrying out a project about formative assessment in…

A collection of three case studies on District-level Equity Leaders (DELs), this study aims to fill the current void in the research on DELs and equity work at the district level in public schools, using a Critical Race Theory (CRT) lens. The study's primary focus is to document the lived experiences of individuals in this work and how they…

The psychological fallout of school restructuring can paralyze central office staff. Superintendents need effective incentives to keep people engaged in organization-building. They must create a trusting, risk-taking environment, develop a shared mission, empower staff to make decisions, provide learning opportunities, afford professional…

Based on the author's experiences working with several elementary schools, this article explores numerous issues confronting change agents who venture directly into grass-roots school reform projects. Focus is on the change-agent role and issues concerning ideology, power, and commitment. Outside consultants should be participants rather than…

"Educational Knowledge: Changing Relationships between the State, Civil Society, and the Educational Community," edited by Tom Popkewitz, is generally a collection of essays which emphasizes theoretical explications of the linkages between the state, society, and educationists. The author found that the book makes critically important…

Is it possible for principals/heads to be effective educational leaders? In this study, we compared the work of principals/heads in two policy contexts. In Policy Context 1, standards for student performance were common and well-established, and authority was devolved to the school level for reshaping the school to meet those standards. In…

The role and responsibilities of department heads, and the effects of changing conditions in higher education, are considered, and reference is made to the nursing education department. The department represents an organizational unit as well as an intellectual discipline, and the department head is expected to serve in four roles: leader,…