Recent educational reforms in China are placing increasing emphasis on the integration of new technologies in the English language curriculum. At the same time, a debate has begun concerning the effectiveness of Information Technology (IT) usage in transforming language pedagogy in the Chinese context. In response to points made in the discussions…

This article sets the scene for the other papers in this Special Issue on children's and young people's participation, by outlining the nature of the ESRC Seminar Series from which all are derived and by developing the main themes discussed at the seminars. The focus of this Issue is participation by children and young people as this relates to…

Legislative and programmatic efforts to improve teacher quality have become a major focus of state policymaking in recent years. States have employed numerous strategies in response to concerns about the preparation, quantity, and capacity of the teacher workforce. In this chapter, the authors introduce conceptual frameworks for understanding…

Ethiopia is a nation of more than 70 million people characterized by diverse ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. Since the early 1990s Ethiopia has entered into the process of transformation towards a more civil society. This transformational process has led to numerous socioeconomic and political policy reforms. Central to reforms in the…

Educational systems worldwide still continue to rely heavily on public sources of funding. Nearly 80% of the expenditure on higher education comes from public sources in OECD countries; the share is even larger in developing countries. There is a concerted effort in many countries to reduce the reliance on state funding and move towards…

The purpose of this study was to examine principals' perceptions and practices regarding bullying prevention. A survey instrument was developed to assess principals' stages of change and perceived barriers regarding selected bullying prevention activities as well as the effectiveness of bullying prevention activities. Of a national random sample…

Educators and policymakers have accomplished much over the past decade, aided by parents and taxpayers. California has set a high bar for what all children are expected to learn, from kindergarten forward. Instructional materials and tests are now closely aligned, so that teachers know how to gauge their students' progress. And achievement growth…

How can all students be provided with a first-class education with all the obstacles and challenges faced by today's schools? Based on his experiences growing up in the Mississippi Delta during the era of segregation, Clifton Taulbert shares time-honored principles that can transform the lives of the teachers, students, administrators, and staff…

As American educators struggle to meet the unprecedented challenge of preparing all students to master the skills embodied in state learning standards, some wonder whether their efforts make economic sense. After all, the newspapers are full of reports of jobs being outsourced to lower-wage countries and jobs being done by computers. If more and…

The first step in an improvement effort involves reflection and goal setting. By focusing inward and identifying needs, a person or a school can make great changes. This article discusses how a writing center can be a locus for change within a school. Most high school writing centers start because a few English teachers share a passion for…

This executive summary of a report of a Texas task force on the education of students with disabilities has been published in separate English and Spanish versions, both provided here. The report outlines a policy for educating students with disabilities, the foundation for the policy, and recommendations for implementing the policy goals. The…

Issues related to blending or consolidating services and funding to better coordinate education for exceptional students are examined in the context of educational reform and the Goals 2000 initiative. Interviews were conducted with approximately 30 federal and state officials between May 1994 and February 1995, focusing on possible barriers in…

This practicum was designed to assist the teacher in addressing the learning styles and modalities of students in a second-grade classroom. A learning style inventory was administered to the students, and two learning style inventories were administered to the teacher. Mini-training sessions were then developed on addressing learning styles by the…

Humanities departments at higher education (HE) institutions throughout the United Kingdom must determine what business expects of the humanities, devise strategies to improve understanding of the objectives and contribution of HE in the humanities, and develop language and standards that will enable members of the academic and business…

This report on the National Assistance Project for Special Education Technology provides a description, evaluation of the project, case studies, and vignettes. The project provided technical assistance to local school districts to implement technology within special education programs. In year 1, technical assistance was provided to 27 local…