Increasing diversity in the student population intensifies the need for and the difficulties of establishing culturally sensitive and meaningful communication between teachers and parents. This study examined the practices of early childhood and elementary teachers concerning culturally sensitive home-school communication. As a second phase of a…

The paper describes a model designed to support the development of children's group skills by explicitly scaffolding reflection on collaboration and providing feedback using the children's self-assessment of these skills. The model incorporates existing training schemes, including procedural prompting, assigning roles, modelling exchanges, and…

This article highlights work underway in three English local authorities to promote effective inter-agency collaboration around the education of looked after children. Insight drawn from these local authorities is used to review previous literature concerning inter-agency collaboration in a variety of contexts. The relevance of previous research…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires states to ensure that all students make adequate yearly progress in achieving proficiency in English language arts and math. This study examines how six diverse schools have responded to the challenge of educating their students in math, particularly students with disabilities and other…

This study explored kindergartners' and first graders' collaborative processes to understand the nature of peer collaboration and the learning opportunities afforded by peer discourse. Data were drawn from 6 dyads who participated in a computer writing project for 2 school semesters. Children's videotaped interactions were analyzed with the focus…

London Metropolitan University in Islington, North London, is very much part of the local community. A very high proportion of the students come from the areas around the university, and an even higher proportion go on to take up posts in the immediate inner-city environment. The education department was therefore very keen to foster…

In Denmark, as in many other countries, international agendas represented by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment studies, the European Bologna process and the school effectiveness movement are important factors for educational policy. However, in national contexts,…

This article explores a reciprocal relationship between leadership capacity and collective efficacy in a pre-K-8 school in the Southern United States that continually advances as a professional learning community. Survey data from this mixed methodology study showed significant positive correlations among subgroup scales measuring leadership…

Having sleepovers at the public library can be fun and exciting. This article describes the Brownie Sleepover program, a library sleepover program, which started 10 years ago when two local Brownie leaders approached the former head of children's services to ask if she could help second graders earn their "Be a Reader" patch. After…

In September 2005, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) launched the Out-of-School Time Programs for Youth (OST) initiative to provide young people throughout New York City with access to high-quality programming after school, on holidays, and during the summer at no cost to their families. Working closely with…

In September 2005, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) launched the Out-of-School Time Programs for Youth (OST) initiative to provide young people throughout New York City with access to high-quality programming after school, on holidays, and during the summer at no cost to their families. Working closely with…

This volume contains papers submitted to the 10th Annual Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society, held in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, 12-15 June 2012. The overall goal of the 10th BCES conference is to facilitate discussion of different perspectives on international education providing a forum for scientific debate and constructive…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 helps to ensure that all children receive a high-quality education and holds schools responsible for making sure that all children are learning. The information in this brochure is consistent with this important law. The early school years are the foundation for school success, the time when children will learn…

Elementary school teachers in the present study reported informal collaboration regarding technology use as a more effective method of professional development than organizationally planned or sponsored activities. Despite the fact that teachers see their colleagues as valuable resources for learning how to utilize technology, the disciplined…

Schools can become islands of stability or fields of battle for students with emotional and behavioral problems. Research on positive school climate and positive therapeutic outcomes points to the importance of replacing adversarial encounters with respectful relationships. This article discusses how this positive transformation can be achieved.…