The intensive English development/TESL program (TESL-GT) was created through a partnership between Ecuador and one Midwestern university. Through this program, Ecuador's Ministry of Education sought to enhance the instructional effectiveness of secondary English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. The 67 Ecuadorian teacher participants in this…

Benchmarking has traditionally been viewed as a way to compare data only; however, its utilisation as a more investigative, research-informed process to add rigor to decision-making processes at the institutional level is gaining momentum in the higher education sector. Indeed, with recent changes in the Australian quality environment from the…

It's undeniable that too many schools with high percentages of low-income students and students of color are low-achieving. But a few schools with these student populations stand out as successes, with academic achievement rivaling and exceeding that of their counterparts in middle-class communities. What do these schools have in common? Research…

Over the last decade, a growing consensus has developed that for our nation's students to succeed in twenty-first-century economic and civic life, high school graduation is no longer sufficient. Labor-market analyses have shown that high-wage positions increasingly require postsecondary education and training, and students must now graduate…

This paper studies the link between school facilities (buildings and grounds) and student achievement in eight countries using data from the TIMSS 2003 database. The results indicate a negative relationship, but the estimated coefficients are mainly insignificant. Interestingly, the coefficients differ heavily across countries. Whereas there seem…

Teacher educators rightfully dream of delivering inspiring programs to benefit future teachers and the students they will in turn inspire. However, in the current teacher education environment in Australia, the artisan's craft of weaving rich texture and producing a masterpiece is potentially over-shadowed by the educational administrator's…

This article describes various aspects of school principal evaluation. The authors note that many states and school districts use evaluations that do not consider existing standards for principals or proven practices. It asserts that principal evaluations must be tools for professional capacity building that leads to improved teaching and…

Geography graduates face an uncertain future. To help students think and practice as a geographer, we must teach disciplinary knowledge--particularly threshold concepts--as well as skills and attributes. We must role model and articulate our geographical reasoning using signature pedagogies and promote high-impact and signature learning…

This qualitative study was conducted to explore the personal and professional experiences of family and consumer sciences educators (n = 3) who recently participated in the AAFCS accreditation process utilizing the 2010 Accreditation standards. Analysis of the transcribed semi-structured interview data yielded four overarching categories: (a)…

The "alternative" methodological approach that I discuss in this paper is one that I suggest can be employed for exploring higher degree research student "becoming," that is, for exploring the relationship between learning, writing and identity or subject formation. This approach is informed by an unlikely amalgam of…

As colleges and universities become even more complex organizations, advancement professionals need to have the skills, experience, and academic credentials to succeed in this ever-changing environment. Advancement leaders need competencies that extend beyond fundraising, alumni relations, and communications and marketing. The author encourages…

Since the 1990s, the partnership paradigm has become the predominant framework for organising transnational academic ventures and international development. The global-partnership approach embraces a pluralistic perspective to development and dramatically expands the spectrum of actors and activities that constitute international development…

In 2014, a new General Education Development (GED) assessment will be implemented. The new, more rigorous test will be aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and will use a new test delivery model-computer-based testing (CBT) to replace the paper-and-pencil examination. These two changes have important implications for correctional…

Learners of all ages must be able to navigate their 21st century global market place and be competitive in several aspects of their life. Learners must be able to solve complex problems, think critically, communicate, investigate, create and collaborate to thrive in a 21st century global market place. In order for this to occur in learning…

Decades of research find that effective school leadership and access to high-quality early education are two of the most important determinants of educational outcomes. School principals affect both teacher and student performance and play an important role in turning around troubled schools. High-quality education, from prekindergarten (pre-K)…