The head gangman in the Swedish building trade is a worker elected organiser in a gang comprising between about 4 and 16 workers and an "on-site" and trained representative of the trades union. In 2002 the employer association for the building industry in Sweden (BI) and the Swedish Building and Allied Trades Union (SBATU) signed a joint…

Schools and universities throughout the United States now appear to be embracing green roofs as one of many environmentally friendly initiatives. However, once a green roof is in place, school managers soon realize they are not the same as typical landscaping. Although they tend to be relatively low-maintenance, the location and highly specialized…

This study presents a project undertaken to address a potential problem in getting new students to engage with their academic life. In September 2009, a new course design was introduced into the BA (Hons) Education program at the University of Wales, Newport. The course team was keen to ensure this new development did not lead to a fragmentation…

Background: To ensure that schools are safe places where students can learn, researchers and educators must understand student and faculty safety concerns. This study examines student and teacher perceptions of school safety. Methods: Twenty-two focus groups with students and faculty were conducted in 11 secondary schools. Schools were selected…

Changes in the way education is delivered has contributed to the evolution of school architecture in Zurich, Switzerland. The City of Zurich has revised its guidelines for designing school buildings, both new and old. Adapting older buildings to today's needs presents a particular challenge. The authors explain what makes up a good school building…

Laurie and Jeff Schutz can't imagine how they ever survived. It was not that long ago that the Schutz family of five was living in an 1,100 square foot, two bedroom house. Under normal circumstances, this would have been cramped for any family. The Schutzes, however, have a son with cerebral palsy. Laurie Schutz had about as normal a first-time…

It is familiar in the world of systems building that funders start out saying they are not particularly interested in attribution, only to later begin using words like "prove" and "impact." Boards begin by asking for intelligent reflection from the 30,000-foot level and then suddenly want to know how many more children are ready for school.…

In April 2007, more than 60 people--practitioners, advocates, funders, and evaluators--met for 2 days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to discuss the challenges that arise in evaluating systems change or systems-building initiatives and to suggest approaches to resolving those challenges. The symposium was convened by the partners of BUILD, a…

"The First-Year Seminar: Designing, Implementing, and Assessing Courses to Support Student Learning and Success," a five-volume series, is designed to assist educators who are interested in launching a firstyear seminar or revamping an existing program. Each volume examines a different aspect of first-year seminar design or…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of an institution-wide leadership development model on students at a private Christian university. The university being studied in this research made a significant commitment to the principles of servant-leadership as well as Kouzes and Posner's (2002) Leadership Challenge development…

The fact that inner city schools have not been effective in educating culturally, linguistically and economically different (CLED) students has led to the creation of multicultural education courses in teacher education programs across the nation. These courses have been created with the hope that preservice teachers (PSTs) who take one or more of…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine if training mentors in the use of the Cognitive Coaching process could effectively facilitate their own critical self-reflection and improve their pedagogy. This study consisted of a criterion-based sample of four teachers in a metropolitan Chicago school district and followed the…

The purpose of this case study was to develop an understanding of the elementary principal's perceived role in creating and sustaining a collaborative workplace environment within their school. Collaboration among education professionals, when used effectively, is one strategy that has demonstrated improvement of instruction and student learning.…

Research indicates that many factors may impede teachers' ability to develop caring relationships with students such as the school environment (Schaps, 2009), lack of cultural understanding (Thompson, 1998), the teacher's beliefs and attitudes about care (Goldstein, 2002), and personal experience of being cared for (Noddings, 1984). Yet, little…

National and state education reforms are centered on developing higher academic expectations and standards to ensure students transitions into postsecondary options, college and career ready. What does this national emphasis signify for urban school districts that are educating a significant proportion of first-generation students and that…