In their last column, the authors described a Gold Standard School--a place in which all children thrive including the gifted and talented. The Checklist for a Gold Standard School, which is included in this article, highlights the main characteristics of such a school including a focus on continuous progress, talent development, policies that…

Schools should be proactive rather than reactive to issues of technology safety, and this requires careful planning and policy implementation. In this article, the authors provide information and recommendations that will help middle grades educators, students, and parents to safely and successfully manage the many technologies they encounter and…

The general trend for the inclusion of deaf and hearing impaired students in Australia involves placing students in a mainstream classroom setting alongside their hearing peers with regular support from a Visiting Teacher of the Deaf. The provision of educational services to deaf and hearing impaired students in regional and rural areas, however,…

Outcomes from sex education are shaped not only by the knowledge and attitudes of youth but also by groups influential in young people's lives. American youth bear one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the industrialized world. Four constituencies with important roles in communicating about STIs are youth, parents,…

The promotion of creativity in young children has been included in the agenda of the educational authorities in mainland China since 2001. Since then, attempts to implement this policy have appeared in different forms. The educational bureaux take measures by publishing documents and guidelines on the subject. While some kindergartens endeavour to…

This article examines the 11-year Soviet experiment with boys' schools as a way to cast new light on scholarly research and public debates about single-sex education. Drawing on archival and published materials by educators who described school conditions, identified problems, suggested reforms, and evaluated remedies, the author argues that…

The ACCE position statement for creating media enriched learning communities targets all stakeholders in educational policy and practice who influence the future of learning, schools, and systems. Stakeholders include policy-makers in government, national and international organisations, professional networks and institutions, school leaders,…

In recent years, educational policies for boys have not been given as much attention as those for girls in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rural Nigerian nomadic boys are especially disadvantaged, considering their livelihood is based on a pastoral economy that demands constant migration to interior grasslands in search of pasture. For a…

The history and structural evolution of VOICE for Hearing-Impaired Children is described. Located in Toronto, Ontario, VOICE is the largest parent-support group of its kind in North America. Through its chapters and associated parents groups, it has implemented social and educational policy advocacy and various service delivery models. (Author/VW)

Research indicates that teachers are the main influence on student achievement. However, standards and accountability related to teacher preparation, certification, and competencies are inconsistent. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has developed a more rigorous system of standards and procedures for teacher preparation.…

Summarizes "First Lessons," the author's 1986 report on elementary schooling. Acknowledges society's complexity, the nation's ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, parents' importance, and changing family structure. Examines curriculum content and quality, principal and teacher effectiveness, and school policy issues, including the need for rigorous…

To ensure quality programs in gifted education, parents, teachers, and concerned citizens should become involved in development of education policies. Influencing public policy involves determining which government structure has jurisdiction over the policy and lobbying for legislative action by attending public hearings, writing letters, working…

Involving parents in school management is one of the recommendations in the framework of school-based management (SBM) in Hong Kong. Thus, to set the platform for home-school cooperation in school management, there is a need to develop a partnership between parents and school in the current education reform movement in Hong Kong. The innovation…