The majority of educational systemic change efforts are driven by the experts in the field, leaving the general public disenfranchised. An analysis of stories of those excluded from educational innovation is presented. It is suggested that if "stories" shape social reality as much as by what they exclude as what they include, then the stories from…

This paper reports on a case study of an in-service teacher-training programme for Greek philology teachers, from 2002 to 2003, which was designed to develop the use of information and communications technologies in their teaching. It draws on questionnaires and interviews with 34 teachers who took part in the training. In addition, the three…

This paper explores the extent to which existing accessibility metaphors can help to develop our conceptualizations of accessible e-­learning practice in higher education and outlines a proposal for a new rainbow bridge metaphor for accessible e­-learning practice. The need for a metaphor that reflects in more depth what we are beginning to…

A new definition of quality education based on performance and achievement is surfacing in Des Moines (Iowa). School restructuring is focusing stakeholder attention on systemic changes that mean that the quality of education will be judged on how students have been prepared for life. Restructuring efforts are outlined. (SLD)

This handbook discusses the components of McREL's Balanced Leadership Framework, which describes the 21 responsibilities of effective leaders that McREL identified in its meta-analysis of research on leadership (published through ASCD as "School Leadership That Works"). The authors also describe the concept of "balanced leadership," noting that…

The Regional Math/Science Collaborative (RMSC) of Southwestern Pennsylvania is a grassroots approach to strengthening math and science education through regional planning and evaluation. The Collaborative consists of stakeholders representing educators, students, parents, university faculty, and business and community members. External evaluation…

J. Vella, P. Berardinelli, and J. Burrow (1998) described the "accountability process" of program evaluation. This process was implemented to evaluate a Parents as Teachers program after a year of operation. Evaluation included determining goals, identifying objectives, and determining the focus. Critical elements were identified for…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the systemic change process and strategies used by key stakeholders within a local education agency when they changed from the traditional discrepancy model for learning disabilities identification to the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. The results of this study suggest that the change to…

This document resulted from the efforts of the Brevard County (Florida) Science Leadership Team, a group of science teachers with a wide spectrum of experiences and philosophies. It contains a series of recommendations based on national trends for change in curriculum. Sections include Scientific Literacy for All, Stakeholders and Their Roles,…

This exploration of the implementation of a new career path for teachers in Australia, the Advanced Skills Teacher classification, shows conflicts between the industrial relations arena and teaching standards and performance assessments based on quality of teaching practice. Developing such career paths requires stable professional bodies that…

The ability to work collaboratively with others is becoming an essential component of contemporary school reform. This article reviews current trends in school reform that embody collaborative principles and also draws on the literature to provide a theoretical overview of collaboration itself. The article then outlines the findings from a…

Explores what outcome-based education could mean if it is properly planned and implemented. Outcome-based education emphasizes that the success of schools should be measured on the basis of what students actually know rather than what they are supposed to know. Issues in implementing outcome-based education are discussed. (SLD)

Any consideration of recent and proposed developments in education and training at European Union (EU) level points, in a word, to "Lisbon". "Lisbon", as in the "Lisbon Agenda", is the destination, the compass and the journey driving developments in education and training systems in the EU member states. This paper…

This paper reports on findings from an evaluation of a pilot accreditation scheme for teachers of sex and relationships education (SRE) in England. The scheme was introduced as part of national measures to reduce rates of teenage conception. Illuminative and participatory methods were used to elicit stakeholder accounts from primary, secondary and…

The IDEIA 2004 presents opportunities for change in our methods for improving the process of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) identification. While common approaches to improvement often focus on the assessment tools alone, consideration of stakeholder values and resource constraints are equally important to develop effective solutions that…