Through an analysis of recent quantitative data on equity and school funding in South Africa, this article aims to explicate the patterns and typology of inequality in post-apartheid South Africa, and to deepen our understanding of the construct of equity. It also aims to understand the application of equity in the context of public schooling…

This study assessed policy actors' influence on state reading policy and compared the structure of reading policy networks across eight states. Data for the study came from structured interviews and archival documents and were analyzed using social network analysis methods. This study found that state reading policy networks were heterogeneous in…

In this article, the author points out the decision of U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, issued Dec. 20, regarding the constitutionality of Dover, Pa., district's policy that promotes "intelligent design" in public school sciences. In the ruling, Judge Jones not only found the district's policy promoting intelligent design…

Global policies today encourage greater access by women to formal schooling but leave aside issues of content and school practices essential to the modification of the social relations of gender. This article assumes a holistic approach and compares the promise of education with its actual contribution to transformative knowledge. It examines why…

In discussion of policy and practice on partnership between higher education providers and other stakeholders in initial teacher education (ITE), one significant approach has been to stress the desirability of developing models which are truly collaborative. This paper first discusses the "collaborative" model within a range of…

Child care research is traditionally interested in the effects of the child care experience on child development. This article examines a different question: Who shapes state child care policy in the United States? The study, based on 49 states, shows that contrary to expectations, women's political representation, governor's party affiliation,…

This paper examines whether AFDC/TANF asset tests affect the asset holdings of low-educated single mothers. Special emphasis is given to vehicle assets that make up a very significant share of total wealth for poor families. Consistent with other recent research, the author finds little evidence that asset limits have an effect on the amount of…

National leaders in the field of gifted education have voiced serious concerns regarding the effect of No Child Left Behind on gifted children. This article looks inside classrooms to determine if and how such concerns materialize in the "real world." A survey of selected teachers in various elementary- and middle-school settings in four…

Over the past decade the phrase "making a positive difference in the lives of others" emerged and stuck as a statement--part vision and part goal--for the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Education and Social Services (CESS). The phrase captured the energy and intention of the educator preparation programs and signaled the role of…

Statism is a political economy that prevails in many East Asian countries. This paper explores its negative role in South Korea's education reform since the restoration of civilian democracy in 1993. It takes note of South Koreans' aberrant use of the terms "public education" and "private education" and the frame of reference…

The increasing popularity of digital information has brought great convenience to library patrons. It has, however, posed challenges to libraries in achieving their major missions, i.e., preservation and dissemination of information. The underlying reasons for this phenomenon are dichotomous: the restrictions imposed by electronic information…

This paper identifies a new paradigm war, which has emerged from national policy frameworks in education. In England, policy frameworks in the early childhood phase (age 3-7) have created tensions and dilemmas for teachers as they strive to reconcile their professional knowledge with increasingly prescriptive frameworks. Unintended negative…

Recent consensus reports concur in suggesting major changes in the federal regulatory approach to the identification of learning disabilities (LD). These reports recommend abandoning the IQ-discrepancy model and the use of IQ tests for identification, and also recommend incorporation of response to instruction (RTI) as one of the identification…

By making visible certain entities, phenomena, changes and continuities as being relevant to vocational education, researchers are joint definers of work and education at their sub-national, national and supranational levels. Which stories and mappings are going to have currency in transnational discourses on VET? Studies about transformation of…

The relationship between research and policy and practice in education is a long-standing issue in many countries. Focusing on the UK Government, which is responsible for education in England, this paper looks at the criticisms of education research that have been made in recent years by government and related non-departmental public bodies and…