When either privileged or under-resourced families navigate gray areas in the law, including federal laws related to students with disabilities such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, inequities are revealed. Research and emerging trends have raised increasing concerns about unfairness and abuses of disability policies, particularly with…

This book provides a comprehensive description of the federal government's relationship with higher education and how that relationship became so expansive and indispensable over time. Drawing from constitutional law, social science research, federal policy documents, and original interviews with key policy insiders, the author explores the U.S.…

From the outset, the Labour-led Coalition Government of 2017 was intent on 'transformation'. For the education sector, this was signalled immediately with the announcement of an extensive programme of review and reform initiated in their first 100 days of power. Yet, what is at the heart of the proposed changes and what were they trying to…

This paper provides an overview of the United States higher education system. It gives readers introductory information about the size, scope and governance model of US higher education. This is a challenging task because higher education in the US is highly decentralized with no single 'system' coordinating all institutions of higher education…

This paper examines the establishment and operation of a number of new bodies -- variously called councils, boards, collaboratives, groups, forums and panels -- concerned with the development of Scottish education. What were the intentions behind their creation during the period 2016-20? Do they amount to a significant reshaping of the policy…

This paper explores legislative provision and pre-school education policy in England over the course of the twentieth century. The paper argues that there has been a significant ideational shift over this period, from a policy focus on nursery education for poor children to universal early childhood education. Not only have ideas changed but…

Purpose: This article explores the relationship between governmental policy and the development of higher vocational education in China. Design/Approach/Methods: The article begins with a textual analysis of dozens of policy documents on higher vocational education issued by the Chinese government since 1999. Findings: The article argues that the…

Educational reforms in Angola have emerged from changing political contexts in the country's history. The last three stand out: the Veiga Simão reform, which was approved in 1973 (colonial period) but did not come into full force; the 1978 reform (post-independence) coming from the third constitutional revision and the reform begun in 2004 (after…

In many countries, teacher evaluation has been viewed as a policy lever to improve the quality of teaching and student achievement. Recent research suggests that teacher evaluation can also be implemented as a mechanism for professional growth with careful consideration of the organizational context. However, few studies have examined the way in…

Currently the Australian university sector almost has a monopoly in the provision of courses and programmes for the initial preparation of teachers across the nation. What the future holds for the filed, however, is quite uncertain. This uncertainty, as this paper will demonstrate, is reflected in a number of trends. First, while a trend has…

Physical Education is widespread across the world, yet despite its cultural variation it remains remarkably similar. The ability of the subject to replicate its practices makes it a potential site for exploration from a memetic perspective. The purpose of this paper is to examine documentary evidence such as research papers, policy documents and…

In this paper, we aim to advance the understanding of the institutional mechanisms that have shaped the teacher education environment in England over the last forty years. Based on the analyses of policy documents and elite interviews rooted in a neo-institutionalist analytical framework, we argue that the changes from a laissez-faire policy in…

In light of a global higher education expansion, the paper analyses the historic-structural conditions of this development for the German state(s) after World War II. Building on Talcott Parsons citizenship patterns, the analysis centres on two core institutions of the German higher education system: the state-organized system of entitlement…

Mainstream approaches in comparative education have paid more attention to trends in donors' priorities than to policy processes in recipient countries, overlooking the agency of national governments in the institutional configuration of vocational education and training (VET) in developing contexts. Drawing on constructivist political economy and…

Purpose: This study systematically reviews the China's progress in lifelong education (LLE) policies, theories, and practices in the 40 years since its reform and opening-up and provides several guidelines for developing LLE going forward. Design/Approach/Methods: This study analyzes the characteristics of LLE in China through a review of its…