This paper reports one part of a broader Aboriginal Voices Project that has been undertaken by 13 Australian researchers bringing together 10 systematic reviews on Aboriginal School Education. The extent of collaboration and engagement between school and community leaders is important to influence joint decision-making and required to attain…

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) commissioned a team from the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter to conduct: (1) a review of the best available evidence about what schools can do to improve children's learning and attainment via parent engagement, and (2) supplementary research to understand schools' current practices and…

Leadership in the post-incorporation English further education system has not been distributed in nature, but transactional, driven by the external demands of funding and inspection regimes. However, in the light of the current rhetoric of localism in further education policy there is a view that distributed leadership would be an appropriate…

Education policymakers working to address the impacts of growing economic and racial inequality on students often look to community schools as an effective approach for supporting students and their families in communities facing concentrated poverty. Through partnering with community agencies and offering important resources, community schools…

School leaders are under considerable pressure to demonstrate the contribution of their work to school improvement, which has resulted in the creation of a wide range of literature which addresses leadership in the context of school improvement. This review pays particular attention to issues including transformational leadership,…

This short article explores some of the challenges and complexities of engaging with school communities, particularly in diverse urban contexts. The author argues for a new relationship between schools and communities which is developed by grappling with the concept of community; developing tools to "read" and make sense of the community context;…

Purpose: This study sought to deepen current understandings of collaboration and leadership in the context of partnerships between diverse universities, schools, and communities. Using a critical epistemological perspective, the project specifically attempted to learn more about the processes employed by one particular partnership in the Western…

The participatory management philosophy is alive and well at numerous institutions of higher education. Results, both objective and subjective, are in evidence at many colleges and universities and lend validity to the perception that participatory management can, and does, work if properly nurtured by top administrators in a collegial…

Early efforts to reform middle-level education were characterized by the adoption of a set of programs, often those espoused by national advocacy groups. Too often such efforts were driven by changes in student population and adopted without broad participation by teachers, parents, and other community members. This paper relates the story of a…

Two distinct "waves" characterized the efforts to change public schools in the 1980s. The first wave called for increased academic standards (increased graduation requirements, longer school days, and strict accountability standards), but neglected educational practice and the roles that parents, teachers, administrators, and community members…

Educational reform efforts have increasingly focused on students at risk of school failure. Educational reform in the 1990s shows a trend toward large-scale restructuring of schools. This document explores the relationship between reform-restructuring schools, and improving educational outcomes for students at risk. Two main questions are posed:…

This review of recent research on minimum competency testing requirements focuses on the impact of such requirements on school curricula and on the processes of selecting which competencies are to be tested, determining cutoff scores, and ensuring test validity and reliability. (JBM)

Research on teaching and learning emphasizes the need for school-family partnerships, student engagement, opportunities for relevant and authentic learning, and community involvement in the learning process. The case of a gifted but bored "problem student" shows how a school counselor encouraged collaborative problem solving among…

This paper discusses the importance of teachers moving out of managerial roles into leadership roles. As this transformation occurs, real educational change and the empowerment of teacher leaders will take place. Managerial style teachers traditionally have clear expectations and set standards for their students. Activities, outcomes, and…

An approach to educational change is derived from the field of organizational development. Change agents must be aware of their personal biases and preconceptions; initiate positive inquiry among all community stakeholders; incorporate community values into a well expressed vision; identify obstructions and catalysts; consider community…