This paper critically examines the array of policy approaches that have been adopted in the field of special needs education in Scotland over recent years. These are characterized in the following ways: (1) supporting or changing the child--an individualized approach; (2) making schools inclusive for all--a systems approach; (3) challenging the…

To maintain the legacy of cutting edge scientific innovation in the United States our country must address the many pressing issues facing science education today. One of the most important issues relating to science education is the under-representation of African Americans and Hispanics in the science, technology, and engineering workforce.…

A paucity of research exists regarding the relative strengths and limitations and effects on practice in gifted education state policies. The purpose of this five-state study is to shed light on selected states' gifted education policies. Four data sources were probed and comparisons were made within each state and across the five states.…

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Further Education National Training Organisation (FENTO) developed new subject specifications for teachers of adult literacy and numeracy (DfES and FENTO, 2002). These were designed "to ensure that ... all new teachers of adult literacy and numeracy are equipped with the appropriate and…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires states to establish goals for all students and for groups of students characterized by race, ethnicity, poverty, disability, and limited English proficiency and requires schools to make annual progress in meeting these goals. In a number of states, officials have argued that increased federal…

Prompted by Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, there is a growing number of examples of children and young people being involved in the policy process. To date this had not been matched by evaluation of the practice. This situation needs to change to ensure that existing experience provides learning for more widespread and…

The current debate about class size is not centered on whether smaller class sizes are desirable. Rather, the debate is whether the costs involved are the best ways to spend taxpayers' monies. This analysis addresses this question for the state of Florida. Using the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test as a measure of educational achievement, a…

This paper addresses the extent to which government policy has helped increase the number and diversity of private secondary schools in Hong Kong, which, in turn, has expanded the options for parental choice. Five indicators were selected to measure this objective. They are as follows: (1) Number of private schools and students enrolled; (2) Types…

This article deals with central issues in the field of sociology and politics of education after the publication of the outcomes of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study for Germany. These outcomes serve to remind us of the old debate on politics of education in the 1960s. The main topic since then remains the reproduction…

In Nevada, school districts are countywide, giving the state 17 districts, the largest of which is Clark County School District (CCSD). Nearly 70% of the entire state's population resides in this county. For the past 10 years, population growth in this county has been the fastest in the nation. Such growth brings challenges especially with NCLB,…

It is a commonly understood problem in education that many highly qualified teachers tend to gravitate toward higher performing schools, including schools with lower minority enrollments and lower incidence of poverty. This article explores the distribution of a subset of teachers, namely, those who are National Board Certified. To what extent do…

Designing a curriculum is much more than a technical process. Indeed, it could be called a political activity because stakeholders usually attribute different values to, and hold different expectations from, a new curriculum. As early as 1949, Tyler had raised this issue in his classic "Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction."…

Following a national trend of "getting tough" on juvenile crime, the Florida legislature eliminated one of the State's primary community service-oriented juvenile diversion programs, the Juvenile Alternative Services Program (JASP). JASP was subsequently replaced with four other diversion programs, two of which (the Walker Plan and an…

With the education spotlight shifting to secondary schools and conversations about dropout rates, high school redesign, and workforce readiness taking place in government agencies, schools, universities, businesses, and foundations across the country, teenagers have become a focus of serious policy discussion. It is imperative that the evolving…

In this era of external teacher testing with the intent of ensuring the competence of the teaching force, as well as holding students and institutions accountable for results, the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Assessment (ICLA) stands in sharp contrast. It represents an alternative to external testing of preservice teachers, testing procured from…