In this first 2014 issue of "Voices in Urban Education," Oona Chatterjee, the Annenberg Institute's associate director for New York City organizing, interviews Pedro Noguera, the Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University, a noted researcher and national commentator on topics such as urban school reform, conditions that…

College has traditionally been a transition to adulthood, with campus life and academic experiences providing students with knowledge, tools, and challenges that create a sturdy foundation on which students build their personal and professional lives. According to the author, that foundation is eroding because parents are the ones now wielding the…

The dominant concept of public education at present can be described as a "service delivery" model. The public wants its children educated, delegates the job to a government agency (the schools), and holds that agency responsible for the delivery of educational services. The problems in public education, however, will not be solved by…

The role of the teacher is critical in achieving educational excellence. Teacher salaries must be raised. If educational problems are to be resolved, parents must become partners in the educational process. Students must be willing to work harder, teachers must change attitudes, and administrators and teachers must work together. (RM)

A theory of curriculum is proposed that identifies a range of socio-psychological determinants that can account for societal conflicts about the acceptability of various forms of curriculum. Discussed are topics such as pupil control ideology, hidden curriculum, parental emotional behavior, political extremism, and the politics of curriculum. (MT)

Assesses the status of children's intellectual rights in educational policy. Examines the history, nature and purpose of public schools, detailing a complex interaction of rights, interests, functions, and constraints. Includes specific practical guidelines for educators, parents, and students. (NH)

Presents a model for a parent/student/teacher forum as a means of getting the community involved in the schools and for providing effective needs assessments. (FL)

If schools are to be professionally responsive to and accountable to their clients, each school must have some control over decisions affecting its particular student body. These include decisions in the areas of policy, curriculum, staffing, facilities, resources (and related finances), evaluation processes, and participation in system-level…

The prereferral process for intervention with students who might be candidates for special education can provide indirect services outside of the special education system and has benefits for teachers, parents, and students. During the prereferral process the classroom teacher remains the pivotal professional. Teachers observe the student's…

Reviews the Program for Excellence in Vocational Education, which is designed to stimulate excellence in vocational education in Black urban schools. Lists involvement activities for the community, school system, school, principal, parent, and student needed for program success. (LRA)

This position paper of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities urges comprehensive transition planning for students with learning disabilities, especially as applied to their progression from secondary to postsecondary education. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of the student, parent, secondary school personnel, and…

Demonstrates how three groups--professionals, parents, and children--relate to each other concerning the responsibility of children's education. Proposes specific categories of accountability that each group must assume for the home-school partnership to develop. (MM)

Describes a restructured elementary school in Washington state that emphasizes lifelong learning and the use of technology in every aspect of the school. Highlights include the changing roles of teachers, students, administrators, and parents; open classrooms; cooperative and traditional learning; cross-age grouping; cultural barriers; and the…

Data for this review of Alberta, Canada's School Act by the Policy Advisory Committee for the School Act Review, included 200 written submissions from members of the public, community groups, and educational groups; oral presentations by 23 groups; discussion by committee members and others at 20 locations within Alberta; and the results of a…

Administrative bureaucracy and the professionalism of teachers have combined in contemporary schooling to structure both interpersonal relations and knowledge, leaving students and parents relatively powerless to control any of the educational processes. Through bureaucratic organization, schools create structures in which knowledge, teachers, and…