Alberta Education has been engaged in reviews and reforms of special education, and attempting to describe and move toward more inclusive ways of supporting students with disabilities since 2008. These efforts have, at times, resulted in more progressive and inclusive education policies and, at times, seemed somewhat halting. The obstacle to…

Public schools in the US are increasingly charging "pay-to-play" fees for participating in sports. Although these fees can cause reductions in participation, particularly for children from lower-income families, pay-to-play has become a legitimate practice within the field of public education. This study examines what leads some school…

In this article, we report on a multiyear consultation project between a consulting team based in the United States and the Ministry of Education in Trinidad and Tobago. The project was initiated with a request for training in counseling for secondary school students but ended with the training of personnel from the Ministry of Education in…

Two surveys of educators examined the status of gifted programs in Connecticut during 1989 to 1991. The 1991 results indicate that increasing numbers of programs for the gifted are experiencing jeopardy resulting from the state's fiscal crisis. The number of program eliminations increased by 63% and program reductions rose by 11%. (Author/JDD)

Instead of shielding the public from the effects of budget cuts by making small across-the-board cuts on many programs, school administrators should slash whole programs. This will maintain the system's overall educational effectiveness while making clear the consequences of the public's political actions. (Author/RW)

One of the greatest challenges to comprehensive school reform (CSR) is sustaining reform over a period long enough to produce substantial effects. This article highlights the importance of studying sustainability as well as the importance of being clear about what is being sustained, distinguishing between a sustained reform relationship and…

Emphasizes the need for music teachers to defend school music programs. Suggests developing advocacy objectives in the areas of communication, visibility, and classroom follow-through. Argues that children's cultural heritage and musical future are at risk if further cutbacks in music education programs are not avoided. (SG)

In many states, the greatest threat to safe student transportation is elimination of the school transportation program. Using public transit buses, large vans, smaller vehicles, or specialized equipment can cause major-issue headaches. False issues include controversies over seat belts, bus design, and optional "bells and whistles." (10…

The zero-based curriculum model can help school boards and administrators make decisions about what to keep and what to cut. All instructional programs are ranked and judged in categories ranging from required to optional. (MLF)

Interviews with 25 teachers and 95 students discussed how satellite-based, narrowcast interactive television was implemented in Australian elementary-secondary classrooms for second language instruction. Despite some positive experiences, participation declined due to poor program quality, inappropriate pace and level, and repetitive worksheets.…

Results of a survey of 145 special education administrators in 27 states are presented under 4 headings: student identification practices; service delivery; student exit procedures; and program evaluation practices. Findings indicate student identification procedures are fairly well developed, whereas student exit and evaluation practices are less…

Interviews were conducted with 19 parents and mail surveys were received from 27 parents of students (grades 3-8) identified and served by a gifted program eliminated in 1990. Parents perceived that their children were experiencing a decline in energy, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation to achieve at high levels and were beginning to disengage…

Describes recent efforts to combat the downward spiral of music programs in American schools. Increasing enrollments in arts education coupled with financial downsizing have spurred music educators and concerned constituents to fight for inclusion of fine arts programs in school curricula. (LMI)

Arguments against the elimination of special programs for gifted students are presented. Acceleration is seen as a well-supported programing option for gifted students in a time of increasing elimination of gifted programs and increasing use of heterogeneous grouping. (DB)

This article argues that the field of gifted and talented education is entering a period of intense change in ability identification, programs, teachers, classrom practices, funding, and terminology. Three questions are posed: "What changes within the field herald a reconceptualization?"; "How does the current transformation differ from previous…