Author Jane Anna Gordon begins this commentary by saying that early in her academic career she was struck by the dual character of schools as places that can damage and waste the human potential of some on one hand, and that can and should be put in the service of liberation on the other. She writes that this point was driven home to her through…

Not much that state boards of education will undertake is harder than transforming low-performing high schools. Yet what they do is pivotal. State board members should keep 10 key principles in mind when they are working to transform low-performing high schools. These 10 key principles are presented in this article: (1) The school is the unit of…

This article details the Northwest Indiana Public Safety Data Consortium (NWIPSDC), a privately funded data-sharing network housed at Indiana University Northwest, an anchor institution, that includes several private-sector participants and over 30 public safety agencies at all levels of government (local, county, state, and federal). The NWIPSDC…

There has been a steady interest in investigating the validity of language tests in the last decades. Despite numerous studies on construct validity in language testing, there are not many studies examining the construct validity of a reading test. This paper reports on a study that explored the construct validity of the English reading test in…

This paper focuses upon the enactment and implementation of a National Educational Reform in Mexico, which introduced competitive examinations for teachers entering the newly established Professional Teaching Service of the National Educational System, and compulsory evaluation of all teachers in active service for promotion and tenure. The…

Universities of applied sciences in Finland are higher education institutions with emphasis on practical working life skills and strong links with working life. Students typically study in field-specific groups where they receive language and communication instruction alongside their professional courses. The development of language and…

The final version of standards aimed at reshaping the focus and delivery of science instruction in U.S. schools was publicly unveiled last week, setting the stage for states--many of which helped craft the standards--to take the next step and consider adopting them as their own. More than three years in the making, the Next Generation Science…

The multiple academic and social advantages of a dual language education are well known; yet there is little practical guidance for Catholic school leaders who are taking on this whole school change. This paper explores the necessary steps for Catholic school leaders to develop equitable dual language schools. Guided by the Gospel principles of…

Annually, the Department of Education (Department) collects data from school districts across the state on disciplinary infractions and their consequences. These data are analyzed in a state-level report developed by the Department for the Governor and the Legislature to fulfill the requirements of the "Public School Safety Law N.J.S.A."…

Socially-oriented educational programs often face societal barriers. Peace education in a region of prolonged conflict faces a negative socio-political environment that works against its effects. The media, leadership, educational system and other societal institutions continue to express a culture of conflict. Recent studies show that the effects…

Understanding the needs of plants, the function of their structures, and plant reproduction, is part of the National Science Education Content Standard C: Life science (NRC 1996). "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012) states that by the end of grade 2, students should understand that plants have external parts, used to help…

This paper explores some theoretical reflections on the connection between C. S. Lewis's thoughts on the purpose and process of education and his understanding of supernatural human nature which has been relatively little explored. An introduction about Lewis's career as a college teacher blends into the background of this paper. It is followed by…

Recently, despite the high budget allocating for education in Malaysia, the educational performance among students is low (Blueprint, 2013). Pascarella and Terenzini (2005; 1991) have identified four theories and models that affect students' learning: (a) psychosocial, (b) cognitive-structural, (c) typological, and (d) person-environment…

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) were used to assess translational pharmacotherapeutic skills of a Gulf-region representative academic institution. Aim: The aim of the current study was to assess the clinical skills of students enrolled within the third year Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) programme within Ras Al…

History teaching usually focuses on understanding the past as an aim in itself. Research shows that many students do not see the point of this and perceive history as not very useful. Yet history plays a major role in the orientation on present and future. If students fail to see this, the question arises whether this is due to a lack of explicit…