Observations were conducted in three county councils to find out whether the government's ambition to develop Learning Disability Partnership Boards (as expressed in the White Paper "Valuing people") are being realized. All the partnerships practiced various inclusive activities in order to involve people with learning disabilities in…

Following the initiation of educational reforms, this article reports on the different models of leadership that have emerged as being important for developing teacher professionalism in government primary schools in Karachi, Pakistan. The evidence from the case studies, reported in this article, illustrates that even within formalized government…

We examine the contemporary relationship between headship and leadership in England. This speaks to the current globalizing agenda promoting generic leadership within a modernizing agenda of restructuring and reculturing in public education. Thinking based on several research studies is used to stimulate perspectives on a range of complex tensions…

In his Places to Go column for a special issue on the Net Generation, Stephen Downes takes an unexpected trip--to Google. According to Downes, Google epitomizes the essence of the Net Generation. Infinitely searchable and adaptable, Google represents the spirit of a generation raised in the world of the Internet, a generation that adapts…

This article aims to address and explain the conceptual ambiguity surrounding distributed leadership. The author argues that there are three different frames for understanding distributed leadership that are being applied simultaneously, but which need to be considered separately. These frames are the theoretical, the empirical and the normative.…

Using case studies of four schools in three districts, this article explores how leadership is distributed in districts and asks about the role of teacher leaders. It proposes that teacher leaders and districts can share three leadership tasks: procuring and distributing materials, monitoring improvement, and developing people. The district and…

In this essay, Gert Biesta provides a critical analysis of the idea of evidence-based practice and the ways in which it has been promoted and implemented in the field of education, focusing on the tension between scientific and democratic control over educational practice and research. Biesta examines three key assumptions of evidence-based…

This paper argues that, for both practical and philosophical reasons, high school activities ought to be managed by participatory principles. It further argues that the responsibility for bringing this about belongs to principals and activities directors through appropriate modeling and in-service education. In addition, obstacles to the…

This booklet is the second in a series of four research reports that address problems in smaller American cities. The reports focus on issues of collaboration between public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in communities; profile urban issues in the context of strategies for systemic change; and suggest new models for strengthening…

Qualitative evaluation can be used to facilitate change in the immediate higher education professional environment. This evaluation method enriches the collection and interpretation of data by involving all groups and persons who have a share in the problem. In contrast to qualitative research, qualitative evaluation assists in situation-specific…

Issues associated with involvement of social program participants in program evaluation are analyzed. Although there seems to be a broad consensus of the need for participatory evaluation, the proposed rationales and concomitant benefits to evaluation practice appear to be quite diverse. Key issues include the rationale for "stakeholder"…

Aimed at community planning groups, this guide has been developed to help clarify the role and responsibilities of a facilitator involved with community planning. The booklet maintains that a facilitator's purpose is to help a group reach its own goals and to encourage those involved in community planning to contribute positively. It explains how…

This article provides an overview of quality circles and suggests the integration through quality circles of administration, faculty, and staff in the decision-making process to enhance educational productivity and quality. (MT)

Examines the mediating influence of a cognitive structure called "procedural order preference" to determine whether the relationship between discussion procedures and decision performance is mediated by certain situational factors. Finds a significant interaction between discussion procedures and procedural order preference of group…

By enabling students to mediate their own disputes, educators may be synthesizing the finest potential in the school--the creative, constructive dynamic inherent in conflict. This article describes a mediated dispute resolution program used in several schools and offers implementation advice. (MLH)