School discipline is a significant educational policy and equity issue in K-12 education due to well-documented racial inequality in exclusionary discipline and the deleterious effects of exclusionary discipline on academic and adult outcomes. Drawing on interviews with district and school administrators and teachers in an…

This article draws on qualitative data collected in New Zealand over a 6-month period to examine how participants in and involved with TeachFirst New Zealand (TFNZ) rely on notions of grit and resilience to explain the underachievement of their Maori and Pasifika students. I aim to illustrate that participants face pressure not only to instill…

Over the past 15?years, many state governments in Mexico have initiated local programs to introduce English at the primary school level. In 2009, the Mexican Ministry of Education formalized the "Programa Nacional de Inglés en Educación Básica" (PNIEB) as part of the national curriculum, based on the argument that increasing the number…

Whereas the inclusion of children with special needs in regular classrooms has gained increasing advocacy, teachers' attitudes vary. Previous studies examining teacher attitudes have focused on primary and secondary schools in the Western world, and little is known about early childhood settings in Eastern countries. This study used MANOVA to…

The integration of technology in classrooms is rapidly emerging as a way to provide more educational opportunities for students. As virtual learning environments become more popular, evaluating the impact of this technology on student success is vital. "Exploring the Effectiveness of Online Education in K-12 Environments" combines…

The education system in California currently faces three major challenges--teacher shortage, lack of diversity in the teacher population in terms of gender and ethnicity, and a need for more effective teachers. After school programs have the potential of addressing all these challenges in a cost-effective manner. However, for these programs to…

The National Board Certification movement is growing in size and influence, while helping to improve the performance of more students, teachers, and schools. This report reflects presentations, discussions, and follow-up interviews involving participants in the conference, "20/20: Clarifying a Vision for Quality Teaching," held October 22-24,…

Students were electronically polled about the influence of the Internet in their education and ways teachers could use this resource to motivate them and increase their learning. Responses from the 956 adolescents showed that the school quest to increase student engagement could more often be met through online assignments that facilitate…

This article reports on the results of a study which investigated teachers' and head teachers' perceptions of the role of the music co-ordinator in the primary school, and provides insight into how the role might be made more effective. The teachers participating in this project were chosen from twenty primary schools from one local educational…

Assuming that the function of guidance is exercised by a Team composed principally of counselor, teachers, and principal, this article reports a study of university catalogues and state certification requirements to ascertain the extent to which teachers and principals are being prepared for this service. Some universities and some certifying…

Estimates suggest that approximately 12% of South Africans are HIV positive. As a result of the rapid increase of infections in the mid-1990s and the concomitant increase in HIV/AIDS-related deaths, it is estimated that 13% of children have lost one or both parents due to AIDS. In this study data were obtained by open-ended written accounts by…

This how-to-do-it book, divided into 11 chapters, provides specific help for teachers converting to the open classroom approach. Chapter 1 provides background information, defines an open classroom, and discusses some assumptions about the ways children learn and the establishment of learning centers. Chapter 2 contains a discussion on the role of…

In many schools and districts, leaders are lacking the necessary skills and preparation for the roles to which they are assigned. Improving the preparation of school and district leaders prior to hiring or promotion can help schools and districts accomplish the following goals: (1) Meet the growing need for highly qualified leaders; (2) Raise…

In response to the increasing emphasis upon parent involvement in the schools, the Southwest Parent Education Resource Center began a 3-year study of the relationship of parent involvement to teacher education. Increased involvement was seen as a signal of change in teacher-parent interaction and a larger professional role for teachers. The three…

Semistructured interviews were used to query school staffs, administrators, and school board members in this exploratory field study of successful high schools implementing an individualized program. Analysis of results suggest these possible findings regarding factors that may support or inhibit the implementation of innovations: (1) The most…