Aligning a school board policy manual with the faculty handbook would be an excellent application of systems thinking in support of school district mission and goals. This article talks about changing sound assessment practice in accordance with the school's proper policy. One obstacle to changing assessment practice is the prevailing belief that…

The use of technology in language teaching and learning has been the focus of a number of recent research review studies, including developments in technology and CALL research (Zhao, 2003), CALL as an academic discipline (Debski, 2003), ICT effectiveness (Felix, 2005), and subject characteristics in CALL research (Hubbard, 2005), to name a few.…

The multiple-goal perspective has recently been applied to teacher behaviours in primary school classrooms through experimental intervention (Linnenbrink, 2005) and objective observation (Sideridis, 2005). However, there is evidence suggesting that rather than centered only on teacher behaviour, classroom goal structures are a whole class feature…

Much has been written about the poor representation of culturally diverse students in gifted education, centering on factors such as identification criteria, referral practices, student interests, and parental concerns. Culturally diverse learners--especially those who are gifted--are often left out of programs that may ultimately contribute to…

In this article we address "language approach" data as a key variable in quantitative, large-scale research on educational achievement, focusing on our work for the Achievements of Deaf Pupils in Scotland (ADPS) project. The complexity of approaches is addressed, with a particular focus on a "no-exclusion" model of service. In…

The International Baccalaureate was developed in the late 1960s with the purpose of providing international schools with a pre-university curriculum recognized by universities around the world. The educational programmes offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization claim to foster international understanding and an appreciation of the…

Foundation and grant funds are one way to fund projects and programs. Money in the form of grant funds is not a panacea, but the extra resources brought in by grants can provide catalysts to launch new initiatives or to keep promising new projects going long enough to prove their merit and become sustainable. A small amount of money from a…

In this article, the author describes her attempt to develop more interactive mental mathematics sessions. She observed that her students perceive the multiplication tables as a series of facts which are either known or not known, not as tools which could be used to derive other facts in a flexible manner. She therefore undertook the task of…

This essay addresses the question: given the flattening out of the cultural hierarchy that was the vestige of colonialism and nation-building, is there anything that might be uniquely common about the common school in this postmodern age? By "uniquely common" I do not mean those subjects that all schools might teach, such as reading or arithmetic.…

In this essay, the authors discuss what it might take to develop knowledge that can help education policymakers and schools attain their goals. In reading both the research and the current policy environment, the authors identify several fundamental reasons why it is so difficult to develop the knowledge needed to inform policies that might enable…

This publication defines "service learning" as an instructional strategy in which students are involved in experiential education in real-life settings and where they apply academic knowledge and previous experience to meet real community needs. The publication is intended for persons who are interested in enriching learning through…

This document is a guide for educators to use in planning a three credit course designed to give secondary school students in the Northwest Territories (Canada) the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the historical, cultural, and social foundations of their Northern society; to help them appreciate the importance and uniqueness of the…

The state of Illinois recently has required state goals for learning to be identified and assessed in the following areas of learning: language arts, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development and health. The Illinois Goal Assessment Program (IGAP) is designed to assess the progress made…

American University president, Dr. Richard Berendzen, spoke to a global education audience about the state of U.S. education and its prospects for the future. In 1950, less than 6% of the gross national product was in foreign trade; in 1984, more than 25% was in foreign trade and growing. One job in six of U.S. production workers depends on…

The recommendations put forth in this document were developed at a symposium in which policy and decision makers from education, government, publishing, legal, judicial, and philanthropic organizations gathered to address the following three questions: (1) Is the study of the Constitution and Bill of Rights critical to meeting the nation's…