The reform movement embracing charter schools is based largely on the promise that these autonomous schools will out-perform public schools plagued by bureaucratic administration--an expectation reflected in the federal NCLB law. However, the many state-based reports have been mixed, and previous national studies have suffered from serious…

This report presents the testimony of the president and program director of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Based in Washington, DC and in Dayton, the Institute is a nonprofit organization that supports research, publications, and action projects of national significance in elementary/secondary reform, as well as significant education reform…

Rational choice theory suggests that parents are utility maximizers who make decisions from clear value preferences, that they are able to demand effective action from local schools and teachers, and that they can be relied upon to pursue the best interests of their children. This paper presents a different perspective and argues that parents…

This article provides a framework for practitioners and policy actors that links leadership and literacy. The focus is on the specification of research anchored scaffolding that can assist school administrators and policy players in their quest to strengthen student performance in reading. The framework itself is built from material culled from 4…

Free primary education was introduced to Malawi in 1994, and it led to an increase in enrollment of one million pupils. The present contribution gathers case studies of 10 schools which sought information on the general conditions of communities and schools as well as on enrollment, resources, staffing, absenteeism etc. The results highlight the…

Quality is high on the education agendas of developing countries. Much time, effort, and finance have been poured into various initiatives and reforms in an effort to improve quality in these countries. However, so far success has been limited and the quality of education in many developing countries remains poor. Efforts to explore the reasons…

The Instructional Leadership Study provides suggestive evidence that providing instruction-related professional development to school principals can improve teaching and learning in their schools. The study examines a theory of school change articulated by the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. The IFL provides technical…

Parents, teachers, and paraeducators at three inclusive schools were interviewed as part of a qualitative study to investigate perceptions regarding a quality educational program for students with moderate-severe disabilities. Instead of looking at schools engaged in a systematic change process from separate to inclusive education for students…

The purpose of this report is to document the pilot testing of two culturally responsive curriculum units (CRCUs) and inform AEL/Edvantia staff about how the units could be improved. Culturally responsive curriculum units are based on five principles of culturally responsive teaching: (1) high expectations; (2) cultural competence; (3) active…

This paper reviews the introduction of a new primary Diploma in Education at the National Teacher Training College. As the only institution responsible for initial primary teacher education in Lesotho, it carries much responsibility for bringing about change and improving the quality of teachers. The introduction of the Diploma in Education…

We surveyed 374 parents and 82 teachers in the Juarez, Mexico schools regarding their views of what makes an effective elementary school. The survey was a Spanish translation of an instrument used by Johnson (1998). Although both parents and teachers supported most of the factors associated with effective schools, they emphasized different aspects…

The skies were threatening on the morning we visited Cranberry Station Elementary School in Westminster, MD. It had been raining nearly nonstop for two weeks and today did not look like an exception. Hopeful for a change in forecast, the kids all arrived at school dressed in their gym clothes and ready to participate in the school-wide Fun Run, a…

This paper reports on the design, methodology, and results of a study of quality in 326 classrooms in 239 Canadian child care centers. This study, the largest and most extensive ever undertaken in Canada, used the Caregiver Interaction Scale (CIS) to rate the adult-child interactions in the classrooms and the Infant-Toddler Environment Rating…

Although many studies have been published about inclusive education there is still a prevalent displeasure around the world with the inclusive capabilities of many schools and teachers. Despite the fact that teachers generally follow the rules suggested by the literature that lead to inclusion it seems that something is still missing. In my…

Malawi adopted free primary education in 1994 following the democratic election of a new government. This resulted in a massive increase in the demand for primary teachers. Pre-career, full-time teacher education was replaced by the Malawi integrated in-service teacher education programme (MIITEP). This was a mixed-mode system where periods of…