In this article, Ellen Scully-Russ responds to St. Clair's analysis (EJ1072357) of the recent policy report from the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, "Making Skills Everyone's Business: A Call to Transform Adult Learning in the United States" (MSEB) (United States Department of Education [USDoE], 2015). While Scully-Russ…

In this rejoinder, Gareth Owen thanks both Dr. Kamp-Roelands and Dr. Correa Ruiz for their views and for putting forward many interesting and thought-provoking arguments concerning his paper (Owen, 2013). It is noted that both commentators broadly welcome the aims of this paper. They express approval of its review of the development of integrated…

This article is a commentary of a paper by Derek C. Briggs and Frederick A. Peck, "Using Learning Progressions to Design Vertical Scales That Support Coherent Inferences about Student Growth," which describes an elegant potential framework for at least beginning to address three priorities in large-scale assessment that have not been…

This paper is written in response to two BCPSEA (British Columbia Public School Employers' Association) documents: (1) "Teacher professional development: A question of development, growth and currency." From the series of BCPSEA papers "Perspectives in Practice."…

The International Reading Association's Position Statement on Young Adolescents' Literacy Learning states, "It is during the middle years of schooling that most students refine their reading preferences, become sophisticated readers of informational text, and lay the groundwork for the lifelong reading habit." As the National Assessment of…

In what ways might people counteract the prevailing practices that encourage school professionals to resist, ignore, avoid, and discount parental opinions, perspectives, desires, and knowledge about their children's lives? In what ways might parents themselves inform the process of increasing involvement and establishing partnerships? The studies…

In this rejoinder to John Chubb's reply to "Edison Is the Symptom, NCLB Is the Disease," the author argues that Edison offers feel-good measures without really solving any of the problem of schools in poverty. Defending his original argument, the author cites a RAND study that questions the results Chubb claims. The study indicates the…

This article presents responses from Thomas C. Hunt, James L. Heft, S.M., and Ronald J. Nuzzi to the report of the Notre Dame Task Force on Catholic Education's (2006), "Making God Known, Loved and Served: The Future of Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in the United States." Hunt analyzes the 12 recommendations offered by Notre…

Debates whether a text claiming to have scientific value is using seduction irresponsibly at the expense of the truth, and discusses who is the subject and who is the object of such seduction. It argues that, rather than being an assault against scientific ethics, seduction is a necessary premise for a sensible conversation to take place. (GR)

In an effort to encourage dialogue and reflection on matters of common concern and interest, responses are invited on selected articles from other educators, who engage the text critically and offer some reflections about its utility and validity.This article offers responses from J. Christian Beretta, a principal, and Richard G. Wosman, assistant…

The author praises Louis Gerstner and The Teaching Commission whose report, "Teaching at Risk: A Call to Action," emphasizes that much more needs to be done to improve teacher quality in public schools. However, the author notes several shortcomings in the report. The author notes that the report relied on faulty data and ignored promising…

The South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), introduced in 1992-93, is a credential and formal qualification within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). SACE was recently subjected to a review that led to a series of significant recommendations. These recommendations came out of a process that began with the Review Panel…

There are two disconcerting aspects of the research studies selected and discussed in the publication "Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading" (1985). One is the kinds of reading materials that were designated as sources for meeting the various functions of reading; the other is the omission of the role of…