A study of methods used to ensure validity and reliability in classroom assessments surveyed 625 elementary and secondary teachers in Ohio. Results indicate teachers spent little time conducting statistical analyses of their student evaluation data, and many techniques used were poor and inadequate. Additional professional development and improved…

The use of "recitation" lessons in a rural Nebraska one-room school was investigated. Conservative in its orientation toward knowledge and student learning, the recitation is a functional response to the context of smallness, implicit parental and community expectations, inevitable student transfer to a large graded school, and threats…

A commentary precedes this previously published essay that argues the excellence-equity debate requires policymakers to consider mainstreaming the gifted. It is noted in the commentary that McDaniel seems to have anticipated the current interest in push-in, as opposed to pull-out models for gifted education, and use of curriculum differentiation…

This reprint of an article on how students who enter college early perform academically and socially is preceded by a commentary that discusses the need to provide gifted students with the option of entering college early because of the lack of college-level courses at the high school level. (Contains references.) (CR)

Examines some limitations of online course delivery and management systems in terms of the range of pedagogies they support, and explores the effects of a distance learning pedagogy that emphasizes alternative forms of knowledge representation, authentic forms of assessment, and use of distributed tools on students outcomes and student perceptions…

Surveys completed by 218 K-8 teachers in two southern California school districts examined teacher opinions about using language minority students' native language for their instruction. Support for practical implementation was less positive than for the theoretical principles. No clear predictors of attitudes toward the issue were found,…

A study examined 10 exemplary bilingual educational programs to identify characteristics that contributed to the high academic performance of their students. Twenty-five indicators of success were identified in the areas of school leadership, support, and instructional practices. All 10 programs were committed to maintaining students' primary…

An elementary school in a low-income, immigrant community of South Brooklyn (New York) developed a bilingual variation of the adult learning community model of professional development. Bilingual administrators and teachers collaboratively created a positive learning environment through teacher action research, coaching and mentoring, on-site…

This article describes changes taking place in Israeli special education. It discusses the goals of special education, diagnosis and placement, special education procedures, criticism of the special education law, and the current status of special education in Israel. The movement towards increased inclusion is highlighted. (Contains 7…

Describes communication difficulties of students with unspecified learning difficulties affecting their ability to access education through spoken and written language. Describes a collaborative project between the school, the special needs teaching service, and the University of Leicester which aims to clarify such pupil problems and evaluate…

Outlines the inappropriateness of the market approach to higher education. Suggests that the future success of the Academy is facilitated by institutional collaboration, and that network technology is a tool that should be used by the Academy to remain true to its educational mission: the creation of new knowledge. (AEF)

Draws on Foucault to critically analyze interviews with Scottish preschool teachers. Suggests that, in contrast to preschool education's ideals of individual freedom and self-expression, greater governmentality and actual professional practices may lay the foundation for the production of governable subjects. Compares socialization,…

Modernising the teaching profession has become one of the main goals of contemporary educational system reform. The evaluation of teachers has been integral to the new teacher quality policies and programs. This article provides a comparative and critical analysis of the evaluations that teachers now confront during their professional careers.…

In 2004, the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of Tasmania undertook a project to evaluate students' information literacy skills and to get a picture of how and where information literacy is taught in the faculty. This paper outlines how relationship-building between the Science Library and faculty led to the…

This article tells the story of one elementary school faculty who responded to the call for accountability by adopting an inclusive view and implementing educational practices where all students were welcomed and considered valuable, contributing members of the school community. The inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education…