This study applies a conceptual framework which examines the proximity that individuals and groups have to education policy making, as well as stakeholders' historical access to educational decision-making in Hawaii. The purpose of this study is to understand the role of the Hawaii State Teacher's Association (HSTA) and the contracts the union had…

In this critical bifocal case study, the author examines how the Obama administration's Race to the Top education reform agenda was enacted into policy that gave rise to the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), which was in turn embodied by a single MA English education teacher preparation program in New York State. Drawing on Weis and Fine's…

Since the inception of NCLB Laws and "Race to the Top," researchers have documented the continued decline and disappearance of social studies curriculum and instruction in elementary classrooms as schools focus on language arts and math, the subjects that are the focus of standardized testing. This qualitative study's goal is to examine…

Effective partnerships for education reform "require that schools view parents and communities not simply as customers or clients but as partners in the educational process" (Sanders, 2009, p. 1695). In 2012, seven Seattle area school districts and the Puget Sound Educational Service District (the PSESD) were awarded funding for the Road…

For many years English learners (ELs) have lagged behind native speakers of English in the academic community. In an era of accountability, the pressure to achieve and maintain Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status is increasing the burden of success on ELs, especially when trying to learn a second language. The population of English learners is…

Since "A Nation At Risk" (1954), a series of laws and key reform initiatives were passed to hold schools accountable for improving the quality of public education (e.g. "IASA," "Title 1," "NCLB," "RTTT"). These reform initiatives require that public schools undergo continuous change but simply…