Focuses on the relationship of accountability to the educator's ability to conduct inquiry into personal professional roles and to provide assistance to professional peers who are conducting similar inquiries. A positive intervention model is developed by emphasizing the educational experience of the practitioner. (Editor/RK)

How far have middle schools made a distinctive contribution to the education of children in their age-group? Have their chances of innovation now gone forever? Looks at some of their current difficulties. (Editor/RK)

Presents results from a study of school superintendents in Alberta, Canada, regarding processes used to force resignations of incompetent teachers. Focuses on three themes in responses: the importance of providing candid performance assessments, the decision to force a resignation, and who benefits from the action. (20 citations) (AJL)

Discusses the alternative roles and responsibilities that researchers might assume to bridge the gap between special education research and practice. Addresses why some research-based practices fail and the roles of researchers as collaborators, facilitators and coaches, interpreters of culture and dynamics of the school, and critics. (Author/CR)

Findings from a study of diverse assessment practices in a fifth-grade classroom were used to develop a framework for describing assessment system practices. The framework is used to compare different assessment activities, and new criteria for designing systemically valid assessments to support and extend classroom practices are proposed. (SLD)

Portrays the beliefs and practices of four successful African American teachers in the context of existing research. The persistence of common themes across numerous studies suggests that African American pedagogy is not idiosyncratic. This interpretive study provides a way to recognize and understand such pedagogy. (SLD)

A strategy, the assessment conversation, that helps teachers elicit student understanding and then use student understanding as the basis for conceptual and reasoning goals in the classroom is described. Assessment conversation is illustrated in the context of the Science Education through Portfolio Instruction and Assessment project, aimed at…

Explores some features of controversies about the production of knowledge by considering assumptions that have guided social theory at least since the 19th century. When systems of reasoning in educational studies are examined as social practices, it becomes apparent that the stakes of educational research are social and political as well as…

This article reviews use of individual education plans (IEPs) for children with disabilities and giftedness in Great Britain. The review emphasizes that IEP effectiveness depends on the contexts in which they are generated and the range and quality of the data on which they are based. The need for an effective, comprehensive review and evaluation…

Proposes that there are four middle school concepts that hold promise for being effective in high schools: advisor-advisee programs, exploratory programs, interdisciplinary teams, and efforts to promote a positive school climate. Lists, for each concept, implementation tasks, the characteristics of effective high school efforts, and recommended…

This article reviews the historical development of special education in the People's Republic of China, with special emphasis on trends and issues that have emerged in the period since the Cultural Revolution of 1966-69. Major positive developments are identified along with continuing obstacles and possible solutions. (Author/CR)

Discusses how, in order to ensure adequate funding, art educators are being forced to emphasize the role of art in bringing about social transformation while downplaying art's intrinsic power in shaping individuals. The author examines the historical roots of the imbalance between current educational policy and the practice of public art…

Examined reports by mathematics teachers of their degree of familiarity with various standards and assessments, then compared these reports with teachers' reports of their instructional practices in the classroom. Teacher awareness of state curriculum guides and state assessments has increased since 1995. (SLD)

Describes the lasting effects of early experience on children's development. Highlights educational strategies for early childhood educators, distinguishes academic and intellectual aspects of education and learning, details the critical period in social development, development of communicative competence, and cultural identity. Suggests that…

Describes how narratives can stimulate children's play and how it is possible to create playworlds. Shows how cultural context has a positive influence on children's quest for meaningful action. Asserts that a child's imagination is captured by the narrative, which gives objects and actions their meaning. Maintains that when adults play roles and…