Notes only a small number of widely-circulated studies are central to the idea that teachers should specifically teach phonemic awareness skills to young children. Shows that they selectively and misleadingly cite other studies out of context to support their argument and that their statistical procedures do not support their propositions. Offers…

Examines national experiences with educational vouchers in Chile and Sweden in relation to commonly held assumptions of proponents and opponents. Finds that vouchers did not improve academic achievement; "flight from public education" was related to prior lack of public support for public education; increased choice primarily benefited…

Proposes a framework for school sex education within a plural society based on three themes: social changes contributing to uncertainty about sexual values in British society, sex education policy changes' impact on claims to moral legitimacy in this area, and initiatives renegotiating a moral consensus on school sex education values. (DSK)

Modified school years in First Nation schools contextualize the learning process by allowing student participation in traditional, seasonal, outdoor activities. Two case studies in which Hudson Bay area school officials unilaterally reintroduced the conventional calendar illustrate the important roles that First Nations education authorities can…

Examines the rationale behind the British government's method for raising standards in writing at Key Stage 2, noting a renewed drive to teach discreet units of sentence grammar and a fresh commitment to shared and guided writing. Argues that these new measure ignore research on the ways children learn to write and will not lead to a rise in…

Challenges all adults, especially educators, to care genuinely for all our children. The percentage of U.S. children living in poverty is double that of any other industrialized nation. The children's crusade has three parts: a children's investment trust fund, a children's legal rights system, and a "shepherds program" to strengthen…

Examines the certification program of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), focusing on professionalization, standards, assessment, and certification. Argues that the NBPTS program will ultimately institute more controls on teachers, further distance "professionals" from laypersons, and inhibit collaborative…

Since the early 1980s, neoliberalism has become the hegemonic ideology and has expedited the globalization of economies and the emergence of the market as the central organizing principle of social relations and collective life. Surveys the impact of these structural and ideological changes on politics (including democratization), economies, and…

Although researchers have devoted little attention to how religion affects education, religion has always played a major role in education, and religious groups continue to attempt to influence curricula and practices in public schools. Successful educational reform will depend on considering religious and cultural factors in planning and…

Argues against using American-style multicultural education in South African higher education and suggests that transitory nation-states would first need to adopt Africentric reformism in order to recapture their value system before incorporating multiculturalism into the curriculum. The relevance of the multicultural model to South Africa and why…

Examines the contemporary politics of school reform in Baltimore (Maryland) and uses the concept of "civic capacity" to study the ability of local educational stakeholders to form effective alliances to shape and carry out meaningful systemic school reform. The strengths and weaknesses of Baltimore's leaders' capacity to reform the…

Canadian educational reform involves "top-half" provincial policy makers and "bottom-half" communities, schools, and local jurisdictions. Policy reforms in curriculum, instruction, and assessment are on the right track while those in teacher education and community development are not. Local implementation concerns are…

Describes how the author, a third-grade teacher, deals with the challenges of teaching within a school-based reform package. Describes how she finds ways of satisfying the required number of minutes of reading, math, and science instruction without sacrificing what she knows about what works for her students and their learning. Discusses pros and…

Examines the conflict between two diametrically opposed child advocacy groups as a result of a legislative initiative in North Carolina known as Smart Start. At issue was funding of model day care centers, reduction of staff-to-child ratios in day care centers, and child immunizations. Chronicles the conflict and highlights group tactics. (SD)

A research agenda was developed to examine effects of rural school busing on rural children, families, and communities. The agenda addresses the history, politics, and financing of rural school busing; social, cultural, health, and safety considerations; geographic justice and school distribution; relationship to consolidation; influences on…