Davis, Niki, Ed.; Price, Jerry, Ed.; Willis, Dee Anna, Ed. (2002). Proceedings of SITE 2002: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (13th, Nashville, Tennessee, March 18-23, 2002). This proceedings contains papers from the 2002 Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) conference. Papers are organized in the following sections: (1) Invited Papers and Invited Panels; (2) Concepts & Procedures; (3) Corporate & Distance Education; (4) Diversity/Equity; (5) Educational Computing Course; (6) Educational Leadership; (7) Electronic Portfolios; (8) Faculty Development; (9) Fine Arts; (10) Graduate and Inservice Education; (11) Instructional Design; (12) International; (13) Mathematics; (14) New Media; (15) Partnerships across Organizations; (16) Preservice Teacher Education; (17) PT3 (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers To Use Technology) Papers; (18) Reading, Language Arts, and Literacy; (19) Research; (20) Science; (21) Simulations; (22) Social Studies; (23) Special Needs; (24) Technology Diffusion; (25) Telecommunications: Graduate and Inservice & Faculty Use; (26) Telecommunications: Preservice, Inservice, Graduate, and Faculty; (27)… [PDF]

(1996). Building Knowledge for a Nation of Learners: A Framework for Education Research 1997. A Report by the Assistant Secretary, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Sharon P. Robinson, and the National Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board. This report, first of a biennial series, establishes national priorities for education research. The priorities reflect the ideas and concerns of students, parents, educators, community members, policymakers, and researchers. The seven national priorities that are defined are: (1) improving learning and development in early childhood; (2) improving curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning at all levels of education; (3) ensuring effective teaching by expanding the supply of potential teachers, improving teacher preparation, and promoting career-long professional development at all levels of education; (4) strengthening schools; (5) supporting schools to prepare diverse populations to meet high standards; (6) promoting learning in informal and formal settings; and (7) understanding the changing requirements for adult competence. Within each of these priorities, it will be essential to ensure equity and reflect diversity, stress the importance of the family, and… [PDF]

van Hover, Stephanie D. (2003). Deborah Partridge Wolfe and Education for Democracy. Theory and Research in Social Education, v31 n1 p105-131 Win. This paper examines the contributions of Deborah Partridge Wolfe, a previously overlooked female African-American educator, to social education. Throughout her career, Wolfe consistently drew attention to issues of democracy, diversity, and equity through her teaching, curriculum development, scholarly writings, speeches, government service, and social activism. This study adds to a growing body of work that investigates women's roles as social educators within the history of education and examines how Wolfe's beliefs about democracy and education manifested themselves in her work as a social educator. Specifically, this paper provides an overview of Wolfe's life and career, examines her conceptions of democracy and democratic education, and focuses on Wolfe's active involvement in multiple realms of community life, as well as her scholarly writings and speeches. The paper concludes with a discussion of Wolfe's major contributions to the field of education, particularly her advocacy… [Direct]

Clark, Christine (2005). Diversity Initiatives in Higher Education: Intergroup Dialogue as Pedagogy across the Curriculum. Multicultural Education, v12 n3 p51 Spr. The idea for the Intergroup Dialogue as Pedagogy Across the Curriculum (INTERACT) Pilot Project emerged, quite organically, from the cross-pollination of two major initiatives of the Office of Human Relations Programs (OHRP), the equity compliance and multicultural education arm of the Office of the President at the University of Maryland, College Park. These initiatives are OHRP's Words of Engagement Intergroup Dialogue Program–the core component of its Student Intercultural Learning Center (SILC)–and OHRP's Multicultural Curriculum Change Program–a major offering of its Diversity Training and Consultation Services (DTCS). This article discusses the INTERACT project and it's findings. It concludes by saying that through the continued development of the INTERACT project, it has an equally tremendous potential to impact classroom teaching and learning, intergroup dialogue facilitation and participation, corresponding student engagement in the curriculum, and subsequent student… [PDF]

Dougherty, Barbara B.; Ellibee, Margaret A. (1995). Curriculum Quality Standards for Vocational Education: A Guidebook. This guide to curriculum quality standards for vocational education begins with an outline of potential uses for the standards and indicators. The next section provides a list of the standards and indicators developed by the national task force of NCPQ (National Consortium for Product Quality). The standards guide the NCPQ curriculum review process. They are broad, qualitative ideals of what is valued in instructional products. The indicators represent essential attributes that support the standards and can be designed by the user to evaluate materials in an objective or measurable manner. These standards are listed: content, instructional, student assessment, and equity/diversity. The following section describes the two-phase process that is the NCPQ curriculum product review. The document concludes with a sample product review; a list of sources of technical assistance, including Internet sites, state vocational and technical education curriculum centers, and state liason… [PDF]

Bradbury, Tom; Gibbs, Courtenay (2000). Charlotte-Mecklenburg Education Foundation Annual Community Assessment, 2000. In this sixth annual community assessment, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Education Foundation surveyed 1,245 registered voters in March 2000. Of the five issues investigated, education was the most important local issue, but there also appeared to be a gap between support for public schools and support of the necessary funding for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system. Overall, the school system got a grade of "C." While there was high confidence in teachers, principals, and the superintendent, there was much less confidence in the School Board or the Board of County Commissioners. The teaching profession was valued, and there was strong support for equity and student diversity, although the community was polarized over student assignment. The understanding of vouchers, charter schools, and the new no-social-promotion policy was minimal, though voters strongly support community involvement in the schools. Voters generally thought that communication between schools and… [PDF]

Porreca, Kathleen A. (2010). The Leadership Role of the High School Principal in Providing a Supportive Environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The literature on school leadership and on effective schools has long held that the leadership of the principal is the single most important factor in creating and sustaining the culture of a school; it follows, then, that the leadership of the principal has tremendous potential to increase the safety, comfort, and academic achievement of LGBT students, who are currently at serious risk in schools. Some principals have been specifically recognizing and addressing the needs of LGBT students in their schools. This study examines the leadership of high school principals in creating a supportive school environment for LGBT students. This study employs a qualitative methodology. A sample of seven purposively selected participants were interviewed in person in three sixty-minute sessions by the researcher. One participant was interviewed once, and then had to drop out of the study due to health issues. Results were coded and analyzed. Results were also de-contextualized and… [Direct]

Cegelka, Patricia; Doorlag, Donald (1995). Personnel Preparation: Relationship to Job Satisfaction. Draft Report. Working Paper #7. This paper reports findings from three studies on attrition of special education teachers, with particular focus on teachers' responses concerning their own preservice preparation in both general and special education and evaluations of their levels of preparation to perform various components of their jobs. Major findings were: (1) the four skill areas in which teachers rated themselves the least well-prepared included responding to linguistic diversity, interfacing with the core curriculum, dealing with severe behavior disorders, and collaborating/consulting with general education teachers; (2) teachers felt ill-prepared to work with general education teachers, manage disruptive behaviors, and work effectively with consultants; (3) the skill areas in which teachers felt the least well-prepared are those typically associated with operating effective inclusion/mainstreaming programs; (4) recent graduates reported a higher level of agreement between their philosophy of special… [PDF]

Andrews, Jane; Yee, Wan Ching (2006). Children's "Funds of Knowledge" and Their Real Life Activities: Two Minority Ethnic Children Learning in Out-of-School Contexts in the UK. Educational Review, v58 n4 p435-449 Nov. In this paper we explore the concept of "funds of knowledge" used by Moll and Greenberg (1990) in the US to recognize and value expertise located within minority ethnic communities and apply it to the out-of-school learning engaged in by two primary school-aged minority ethnic children in the UK. As part of the UK government's policy on social inclusion attempts have been made to address underachievement of certain groups of minority ethnic pupils. One recommendation to schools has been to draw on communities', families' and children's "funds of knowledge" in order to improve the school experience and achievements of minority ethnic pupils. We provide two case studies of the children's lives and learning out of school and then consider the implications for educational practice of drawing on these kinds of funds of knowledge. The data are drawn from a wider project, one strand of which had a focus on mathematics, and as such there is a slant towards out-of-school… [Direct]

Silver, Edward A. (1995). Shuffling the Deck To Ensure Fairness in Dealing: A Commentary on Some Issues of Equity and Mathematics Education from the Perspective of the QUASAR Project. This paper is a reaction to a plenary address, "Fairness in Dealing: Diversity, Psychology, and Mathematics Education" by Suzanne Damarin (SE 057 179). The issues of intentionality, institutional and instructional practices, identity development, and assessment are addressed in regard to the Quantitative Understanding: Amplifying Student Achievement and Reasoning (QUASAR) Project, a mathematics education reform project that has been supporting and studying the design and implementation of innovative instructional programs in middle schools serving economically disadvantaged communities. The QUASAR program was designed to address the persistent historical association of poverty and low achievement in mathematics by providing students in schools in low income communities with access to mathematics instruction that heavily emphasizes understanding, reasoning, and problem solving rather than memorization and imitation. One conclusion reached is that, just as it is important… [PDF]

Molnar, Alex, Ed. (1987). Social Issues and Education: Challenge and Responsibility. Social responsibility is a difficult but essential aspect of being a professional educator. The contributors to this volume hope that the social policy debate within the education profession will be encouraged. The book provides practical assistance for educators in developing curriculum and instruction programs that foster creativity and critical thinking in relation to social issues. In this volume are: \Forward\ (Gerald R. Firth); \The Emperor Has No Clothes\ (Alex Molnar); \Tracking: Beliefs, Practices, and Consequences\ (Jeannie Oakes); \Confronting Social Attitudes in Textbooks: The Response and Responsibility of Today's Educator\ (Steven Selden); \Children's Play and Adult Leisure: The Social Responsibility of Educators\ (Nancy R. King); \Ethnic Diversity, the Social Responsibility of Educators, and School Reform\ (James A. Banks); \Peering into the Well of Loneliness: The Responsibility of Educators to Gay and Lesbian Youth\ (James T. Sears); \Educating for Excellence on an… [PDF]

McIntire, Walter G. (1988). The Quality of Research. This paper offers criticism of rural education research methods, and identifies areas in need of more or better systematic inquiry. It suggests the need to increase the quantity of the highest quality of research and the need for researchers to reach policy makers and "mainstream" education journals more effectively. Five main problems with current research methods, agendas, or products are discussed. This paper suggests that the best collective research is required to promote equity in education. It calls for a clear assessment of the appropriateness of existing school models for rural America, and the need for identifying alternatives, if they exist. The research community needs to expand its databases; available resouces are too often ignored or overlooked. Educators must become more assertive in identifying the context of education as a legitimate empirical variable. Finally, the paper calls for researchers to increase the number of state-by-state studies that…

Bernardy, Marie (1995). Educating Multicultural Groups Outdoors. Not only do we need to give students a strong educational foundation, we also must counteract cultural and psychosocial factors that turn minority students away from a curriculum. One of the most powerful aspects of an outdoor education program is that it can provide participants with unique opportunities to work together to solve problems, thus exercising critical thinking skills and enhancing communication among group members. In instances where relatively few members of a group are of a different cultural background, token dynamics come into play. Three strategies for avoiding tokenism are: cluster people in numerically balanced groups; provide positive role models for people who are numerically few in a group; and educate staff, leaders, and group members about token dynamics. In addition to accurate and diverse instructional materials, preservice and inservice education is needed to help teachers learn about the diverse groups with which they will be working. Whenever possible,… [PDF]

Lindblad, Sverker; Popkewitz, Thomas S.; Strandberg, Johanna (1999). Review of Research on Education Governance and Social Integration and Exclusion. Uppsala Reports on Education. This publication reviews cross-disciplinary literature on education with the aim of informing the reader of the relation between educational governance and social inclusion/exclusion in policy and research. Various conceptual issues raised in the literature are examined first. Then, two problematics are considered to emphasize how the methods, concepts, and "theories" of social science can produce new ways of thinking, organizing action, and producing results. The section on the equity problematic explores questions of representation and access of individuals and groups to educational and social practices. The section on the problematic of knowledge focuses on the systems of reason whereby identities assigned to actors are "fabricated" in order to organize and divide. It is the authors' hopes to make visible the relation between epistemological assumptions and "real world" practices of research, policy, and schooling. Appendices contain a search of the… [PDF]

Montgomery, Deborah L. (1995). A Profile of Special Education Finance Reform in Vermont. State Analysis Series. This paper traces the historical context of the passage and implementation of Vermont's Act 230 in 1990, which initiated a new special education funding system to increase equity, predictability, and flexibility in program design as well as to ensure placement neutrality. Specific objectives of the funding system included increasing the use of prereferral services for children with diverse needs and the inclusion of children with disabilities in regular classes. The funding formula has three components: (1) a mainstream block grant to school districts based on total student enrollment; (2) an extraordinary service reimbursement providing compensation to districts for unusually high-cost individual cases; and (3) an intensive services reimbursement to help with all remaining allowable special education costs not otherwise covered. This paper relates this reform to special education policy, programs, and services; discusses the objectives for reform and the mechanics of the new… [PDF]

Benjamin, Shereen; Collins, Janet; Hall, Kathy; Nind, Melanie; Sheehy, Kieron (2004). SATurated Models of Pupildom: Assessment and Inclusion/Exclusion. British Educational Research Journal, v30 n6 p801-817 Dec. Adopting a sociocultural theoretical framework and based on ethnographic data from two primary schools, this article seeks to answer the question: what meanings about inclusion and exclusion are encoded in school and classroom practices? It documents the (inclusionary and) exclusionary pedagogic processes that influence learning and children's participation in the learning opportunities on offer to them. From their analysis of observational, interview and documentary data, externally-imposed and monitored regimes of assessment are what really matters in the school lives of the year six children in the authors' fieldwork schools. Assessment, narrowed to testing, defines the school day, the curriculum, the teacher's responsibilities, the pupil's worth, the ideal parent, and what counts as ability; it pushes towards a particular type of learning at the expense of other types. The article begins with a brief theoretical and methodological account of the study and a note on each… [Direct]

Brown, Kathleen M. (2006). Leadership for Social Justice and Equity: Evaluating a Transformative Framework and Andragogy. Educational Administration Quarterly, v42 n5 p700-745. Purpose: This study explores the effects of an alternative, transformative andragogy (i.e., the art and science of helping others to learn) designed to be responsive to the challenges of preparing educational leaders committed to social justice and equity. Design: Within the context of preparation programs, the three theoretical perspectives of adult learning theory, transformative learning theory, and critical social theory are interwoven with the three andragogical processes of critical reflection, rational discourse, and policy praxis to form an alternative, transformative framework. Forty graduate students of educational administration (two cohorts of preservice leaders) participated in this study. Quantitative methods are used to assess the possible effects of transformative learning strategies on preservice leaders' attitudes toward issues of diversity in education. Qualitative research methods are then employed to further explore the possible effects of andragogical approaches… [Direct]

Guralnick, Eva, Ed.; Jensen, Susan, Ed.; Lucich, Mardi, Ed.; Zamani, A. Rahman, Ed. (2003). Child Care Health Connections. A Health and Safety Newsletter for California Child Care Professionals. Volume 16, Number 5. September-October 2003. California Childcare Health Program "Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment for all children in child care reflecting the state's diversity; to recreate linkages and promote collaboration among health and safety and child care professionals; and to be guided by the most up-to-date knowledge of the best practices and concepts of health, wellness and safety. Information provided in the newsletter is intended to supplement, not replace, medical advice. Regular features include columns on resources or current information related to infant/toddler care, school-age child care, public health, staff health, nutrition, inclusion, diversity, health consultancy, product information, pending legislation, available resources,… [PDF]

Pickett, Anna Lou; And Others (1993). A Core Curriculum & Training Program To Prepare Paraeducators To Work in Center & Home Based Programs for Young Children with Disabilities from Birth to Age Five. These instructional materials are designed to provide personnel developers and trainers with resources that can be used to improve the performance of paraeducators working in center-based and home visitor programs for young children with disabilities from birth to age 5. The modules cover: (1) roles of paraeducators working in inclusive environments for young children; (2) communication and team-building skills; (3) human and legal rights of children and youth with disabilities and their families; (4) human development; (5) the instructional process (individualized education and family services plans, assessment, data collection, goals and objectives, instructional interventions, and facilitating inclusion using developmentally appropriate activities); (6) working with families; (7) appreciating diversity; and (8) emergency, health, and safety procedures. The format for the instructional modules includes: instructional objectives, equipment and resources required, suggested training…

Hall, Mair, Ed.; Walker, Pam, Ed. (1998). Annotated Bibliography on Community Integration. Third Edition. This bibliography lists and abstracts approximately 550 selected resources (books, monographs, and unpublished but publicly available documents) on community integration for people with developmental and other disabilities. Emphasis is on inclusion for people with severe disabilities and selection was based on the degree to which a resource reflected established principles of community integration. Documents were originally published from approximately 1980 through 1998. References are grouped into the following topic areas: (1) philosophy and perspectives on community integration; (2) administrative issues; (3) services and supports for integration; (4) education in the regular classroom; (5) integrated employment, including services and supports; (6) recreation and leisure opportunities; (7) beyond paid services and supports; (8) personal narratives; (9) women with disabilities; (10) sexuality; (11) abuse and violence; (12) multiculturalism and diversity; and (13) disability… [PDF]

Dennison, John D., Ed.; Gregor, Alexander D., Ed. (1999). Bibliography on Higher Education in Canada and Index to the Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 1971-1999. Occasional Papers in Higher Education. This publication combines a 160-item bibliography of Canadian-published articles on higher education and a "Canadian Journal of Higher Education" research article index for 1971-1999. The index is arranged alphabetically by major area as follows: adult and continuing education; community colleges (college-university relationships, history and development, organization and governance, programs, staff, students); curriculum (arts and sciences, evaluation and development, interdisciplinary, language and literacy, prison-based programs, professional education, skill development); distance education; economics; employment; equity, financing (institutional, provincial, public policy, students); government; graduate studies; history, public policy, and the Canadian system; international; management and leadership (academic governance and decision-making, deans, department heads, evaluation and reviews, professional development of administrators, staffing); multiculturalism and… [PDF]

(2002). Removing the Barriers: Raising Achievement Levels for Minority Ethnic Pupils. Exploring Good Practice. This resource kit, which can be used with an accompanying videotape and written materials, shows how three English secondary schools have succeeded in raising the achievement of their ethnic minority students by increasing expectations of what each student is capable of, valuing diversity, working in partnership with parents, and encouraging students to believe in themselves and take responsibility for their own learning. The resource is designed to be used in a range of settings (e.g., whole-school training sessions, small discussion groups, and individual induction programs). The kit focuses on having high expectations for students, creating a positive school culture and ethos, tackling prejudice and promoting inclusion, mentoring students, involving parents in their children's schools, providing academic support, and conducting ethnic monitoring to identify problems and shortcomings in the educational system. It also focuses on the issues of high expectations, school culture and… [PDF]

(2000). Florida Community College System 2001 Substantive Legislative Issue Papers. This document is a compilation of substantive legislative issues papers concerning the Florida Community College System in 2001. It examines the following six legislative issues, considered to be of high visibility and importance: (1) issues included in the budget, which consist of funding formulas, dual enrollment, and matching grants; (2) issues with funding implications, which include the Associate of Science degree and workforce formula, adult education funding, accelerated workforce education, rates for electronically delivered instruction, in-state tuition for military, information technology training, student fees, in-state tuition and fees, and the diversity inclusion model; (3) education governance reorganization issues; (4) access issues involving financial aid; (5) regulatory licensing issues, which are comprised of nursing ratio, opticianry, and the Florida building code; and (6) other issues that include workforce tax credits, federal workforce funds, the Administrative… [PDF]

Medwetz, Laura; Montie, Jo; Scaletta, Kurtis; Taylor, Pam; Vandercook, Terri (1997). Lessons for Understanding: An Elementary School Curriculum on Perspective-Taking. This curriculum guide is intended to increase elementary students' awareness of their own and other people's perspectives, resulting in more open attitudes and flexible responses to diversity. Unique features include reflective questions for teachers, a focus on communicating content to families, and planned inclusion of students with disabilities. The curriculum is divided into four units which focus on: (1) the individual student's perspectives; (2) awareness of other people's perspectives; (3) learning to understand conflict; and (4) learning to work together. The 24 lesson plans are presented in the following format: intended grade level and time needed, learning objectives, materials, adult reflection questions, an introduction, suggested activities, closure activities, suggestions for home-school connections, suggestions for adaptations, and space for the teacher's notes. After an overview of the curriculum, the guide's sections provide explanations of the adaptation… [PDF]

Hay, Ian; Winn, Stephen (2005). Students with Asperger's Syndrome in an Inclusive Secondary School Environment: Teachers', Parents', and Students' Perspectives. Australasian Journal of Special Education, v29 n2 p140-154. This qualitative study used focus groups and interviews to investigate the inclusion of students with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) into secondary education from the perspectives of: general teachers; special education teachers; students with AS; and their parents (N = 122). Across the four cohorts, five main themes emerged, however, different cohorts concentrated more on one theme than another. Mainstream teachers concentrated more on the nature of the AS condition and its influence on behaviour and social interactions; special education teachers on collaboration and relationships; parents on burnout and a lack of services; and the students with AS on the notion special educators worked hard to assist others. The fifth theme across the four cohorts was the quality of school facilities. The study found that diversity was both an inter-cohort and an intra-cohort variable. The research provides insight into how inclusive practice can be enhanced and why it is a complex, dynamic and… [Direct]

(1991). Campus Climate and the Search for Community within Diversity. Proceedings of the Conference (Albany, New York, April 22, 1991). This publication summarizes proceedings of a working group session convened to discuss ways to encourage efforts of colleges and universities to increase the sense of community on their campuses. It is noted that the sense of community has been diluted over the years due to the great diversity of students, both racial and cultural, that now participate in postsecondary education. The participants consist of over 100 faculty and administrators from 80 public and independent postsecondary institutions in New York State as well as members of the staff of the New York State Education Department. The following sessions are summarized: (1) \Confronting Racial, Sexual, Religious, and Ethnic Conflict on Campus\; (2) \Legal Issues: Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom\; (3) \Curriculum of Inclusion\; and (4) \Enhancing Community on Campus\. Appendices include the conference agenda, the conference evaluation forms, the conference evaluation summary, 68 suggested readings on campus climate,…

Butin, Dan W. (2005). Is Anyone Listening? Educational Policy Perspectives on the Social Foundations of Education. Educational Studies: Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, v38 n3 p286-297. This article examines to what extent, if any, educational policy documents cite or support the inclusion of the social foundations of education (SFE) within teacher preparation when discussing how to enhance \teacher quality.\ A review of ten major educational policy reports over the last two years reveals an almost complete lack of attention to SFE. These reports span the political spectrum and boast a who's who of top educational scholars and policymakers. The attention that is given (when it is given at all) is perfunctory and almost always attendant to multicultural code words of \diversity\ and \culture.\ This analysis suggests that SFE has minimal visibility, and by implication minimal voice, in contemporary educational policy deliberations. Yet, interestingly, arguments and conclusions within several reports could very easily and productively be appropriated by the SFE field. This article thus concludes by explicating the implications of the marginalization of SFE as well as… [Direct]

Schwartz, Wendy (1988). Recent Literature on Urban and Minority Education. ERIC/CUE Digest No. 44. This report reviews six recently published books on the education of urban and minority youth, and the social and cultural environment in which they live. "The Homeless in Contemporary Society" (edited by R. D. Bingham, R. E. Green, and S. B. White), is a primer on homelessness in America. "Gender Influences in Classroom Interaction" (edited by L. C. Wilkinson and C. B. Marrett) consists of 11 conference papers that discuss the ways that gender-related differences are manifested in school. "Effective Education: A Minority Policy Perspective" (C. V. Willie) presents a case for maintaining the integrity of black culture throughout a student's educational experience. "Class, Race, & Gender in American Education" (edited by L. Weis) consists of 13 essays that address the ways schools foster inequalities based on students' sex, race, and class. "Toward Black Undergraduate Student Equality in American Higher Education" (edited by M. T…. [PDF]

Lall, Marie (2007). A Review of Concepts from Policy Studies Relevant to the Analysis of EFA in Developing Countries. Create Pathways to Access. Research Monograph No. 11. Online Submission This paper aims to give an introduction to the central concepts and the literature of Policy Studies in education. The first part of the paper addresses the questions of what policy is. How is it made and why is it relevant? It looks in particular at the role of the state and the Policy cycle framework which is an analytical tool that helps to analyse how policy is made and later implemented. The second part then focuses on the central concepts. The two main paradigms of education policy studies relate directly to these central themes. On the one hand a series of policy concepts cluster around social justice, inclusion and the fight against discrimination on the basis of race, gender and disability. On the other lie the debates raging around efficiency, effectiveness and quality of education. These include the issues of accountability and measurement of pupil achievement. The role of the market is discussed and a short section on globalisation explains how the nature of education… [PDF]

(2000). Including At-Risk Students in Standards-Based Reform: A Report on McREL's Diversity Roundtable II (Aurora, CO, November 11-12, 1999). Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning held the second of a proposed series of three roundtables on student diversity in November 1999. Three commissioned papers prepared by national experts were the basis for activities at the roundtable. Focusing on the unique needs of at-risk students, the papers detail current research and effective practices. They also challenge the reader to reflect on current policies and practices relative to the inclusion of at-risk students in the standards reform movement. This publication includes the commissioned papers and a summary of the roundtable proceedings. The papers are: (1) "Improving the Achievement of Marginalized Students of Color" (Geneva Gay); (2) "Immigrant Students and Standards-Based Reform: Examining Opportunities To Learn" (Pam McCollum); and (3) "The School District's Role in Helping High-Poverty Schools Become High Performing" (Douglas Mac Iver and Robert Balfanz). Each paper contains… [PDF]