Hurry Up and Wait: Rethinking Special Education Identification in Kindergarten

This article makes the case that it no longer makes sense to delay the process of identifying children with disabilities until after kindergarten. The purposes, expectations, and day-to-day realities of kindergarten have changed, and children who eventually will be identified for special education are put at a considerable disadvantage when their special learning needs are not addressed during the kindergarten year. The article identifies inadequate solutions and suggests strategies that teachers and schools can use to address the status quo and work to change policy and tradition regarding special education identification in kindergarten.     

How and Why to Support Common Schooling and Educational Choice at the Same Time

The common school ideal is the source of one of the oldest educational debates in liberal democratic societies. The movement in favour of greater educational choice is the source of one of the most recent. Each has been the cause of major and enduring controversy, not only within philosophical thought but also within political, legal and social arenas. Echoing conclusions reached by Terry McLaughlin, but taking the historical and legal context of the United States as my backdrop, I argue that the ideal of common schooling and the existence of separate schools, which is to say, the existence of educational choice, are not merely compatible but necessarily co-exist in a liberal democratic society. In other words, we need both common schooling and educational choice. The essay proceeds in four parts. First, I explain why we need to understand something about pluralism in order to understand common schooling and school choice. In the second and third parts, I explore the normative significance of pluralism for common schooling and educational choice, respectively. In the fourth part, I show how the two can be reconciled, given a certain understanding of what pluralism demands.     

随迁子女教育财政责任分担政策再造中的“秩序协商”——基于Colebatch二维政策分析框架的窥探

教育政策执行实质上是利益相关者进行“秩序协商”的过程,它是由“利益冲突”“博弈互动”“达成均势”等一系列链条有机组合的循环过程,Colebatch的二维政策分析框架为剖析随迁子女教育财政责任分担政策再造过程中的秩序协商提供了理论视角。从垂直维度来看,中央政府与地方政府、流入地各级政府之间围绕事权与财权的划分展开互动与协商;从水平维度来看,随迁子女家庭与城市居民家庭、公办学校与民办学校之间的“讨价还价”也在一定程度上影响着随迁子女的学校选择行为。随迁子女义务教育财政责任分担政策再造中的秩序协商兼具“强制性”与“诱致性”的双重特征,“算计取向”催生了个体追求利益的自发性,协商主体的多元化和利益表达的显性化更增添了冲突的复杂性。因此,国家以“管制取向”逻辑对个体行为进行调控,促使“算计”思维向“合适”思维的转变,将利益冲突转化为和谐的秩序协商,保障了“均势”的达成。     

Neither confirmed nor denied: special school provision in New Zealand's Special Education 2000 policy

Special Education 2000 (SE2000), New Zealand's first official special education policy, declared the aim of achieving a ‘world class inclusive education system’. It would seem that, by implication at least, the intention of the policy was to achieve full inclusion of all disabled children in mainstream educational settings and thus, consequentially, the demise of separate special school provision. Given this, it would be fair to expect that intentions with respect to special school provision would feature prominently in the policy. However, surprisingly, this was not the case; only brief references to special school provision can be found in the policy material and certainly nothing that would constitute a clearly articulated policy objective for this type of provision. In this article, Trish McMenamin of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, argues that a plausible explanation for this somewhat curious absence is that the differing ideological premises of inclusion and neoliberalism that underpinned SE2000 served as boundaries to what could be said and thought in that context and at that time. This, it is suggested, led to a policy position in which a role for special schools could neither be confirmed nor denied.     

The effects of a free school choice policy on parents’ school choice behaviour

Recently, European school systems have seen various attempts to ‘modernise’ their governance. Market and competition oriented reforms have not been central to governance innovation strategies in German speaking countries, however, their number and relevance is rising in recent years. A free school choice policy which abolishes “school districts” which legally define fixed school catchment areas was introduced in the school year of 2007/2008 in the Austrian city of Linz.The effects of the implementation of this policy on the primary school sector were studied by a standardised questionnaire administered to a representative sample of 3425 parents of five age groups of primary school children. The return rate was about 55%. By special measures during data collection a satisfactory representation of parents with migrant background was achieved.Three questions are discussed in the paper: (1) Is there a rise in segregation in schools as a result of free choice policy? (2) Is there a change in the composition of the student population in different schools as a result of free choice policy? (3) Is there a change in parent school choice behaviour of as a result of free choice policy?Our data indicates that segregation in primary schools with respect to ethnic and social family characteristics increases after the policy implementation, but the sample size is too small to find significant results. In addition, no significant change is observed in the social composition of schools. In accordance with the previous findings no significant modifications of choice behaviour occur for different ethnic or social groups after free choice. However changes in choice motives can be observed.     

教育均衡视野下我国幼儿教师的配置与流动

优质均衡发展是学前教育改革与发展的基本要求,幼儿教师资源的合理配置是学前教育优质均衡发展的基本内容.然而现实中,我国幼儿教师资源配置严重失衡,教师流动严重失范.经济发展与教育经费分配不均衡,学前教育改革与发展政策不完善,教师管理的不科学与教师职业选择的多元化是造成幼儿教师配置和流动失衡的主要原因.政府应通过科学规划学前教育发展,合理分配学前教育经费,合理配置幼儿教师编制资源,完善幼儿教师流动制度,加强教师职业规划等措施来促进幼教师资在城乡幼儿园、公民办幼儿园之间的合理配置和流动.     

The impact of screening and advice on inattentive,hyperactive and impulsive children

ABSTRACT

This short report is about the experiences, views and perspectives of eight parents whose children experience difficulties in learning or have disabilities. These parents have been involved in or innovated parent groups around England. Their views are presented in the light of education policy which relates to school choice and to children and young people with statements of their ‘special educational needs’. These parents’ perspectives on integration emerged as one of the main themes from the interview data     

异地中考政策促进随迁子女选择高中教育吗

为促进义务后教育公平,国家和地方政府出台了异地中考政策。利用“中国教育追踪调查”基线数据中的1071个九年级随迁子女数据,采用多项分类logistic回归分析方法,实证检验了异地中考政策的不同入学条件对随迁子女高中教育选择的影响作用。研究发现,当异地中考政策的入学门槛为“只能报考普通高中”时,对随迁子女选择普通高中没有显著影响;当异地中考政策的入学门槛为“可报考重点高中”时,对随迁子女选择普通高中具有显著促进作用;当异地中考政策的入学门槛为“不能报考普通高中”时,对随迁子女选择职业高中没有显著促进作用。     

The private problem with public service: rural teachers in educational markets

Staffing rural and remote schools is an important policy issue for the public good. This paper examines the private issues it also poses for teachers with families working in these communities, as they seek to reconcile careers with educational choices for children. The paper first considers historical responses to staffing rural and remote schools in Australia, and the emergence of neoliberal policy encouraging marketisation of the education sector. We report on interviews about considerations motivating household mobility with 11 teachers across regional, rural and remote communities in Queensland. Like other middle-class parents, these teachers prioritised their children's educational opportunities over career opportunities. The analysis demonstrates how teachers in rural and remote communities constitute a special group of educational consumers with insider knowledge and unique dilemmas around school choice. Their heightened anxieties around school choice under neoliberal policy are shown to contribute to the public issue of staffing rural and remote schools.     

教育自由及其原则：政治哲学的视角

自由是主体免于干涉或强制的一种积极主动的自我实现,是消极自由和积极自由的统一。儿童的教育自由表现为教育选择的自由、社会自由、学习自由、思想表达自由和个性自由。这些自由体现了自由主义的个人中心、权利至上、价值多元等理念。教育自由要遵循平等、限度、宽容和引导的原则。     

Research exploring parents’, teachers’ and educational psychologists’ perceptions of consultation in a changing Irish context

Research and recent policy developments in Eire highlight that there is a growing number of children in Irish schools presenting with special educational needs, leading to an increased need for Educational Psychology services. This research utilised case studies of children who were presenting to teachers with academic, social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the perceived effectiveness of consultation as a model of delivery for Educational Psychologists (EPs). Each case comprised a teacher, parent and psychologist, (n = 9) from three different case studies. This research found potential benefits of consultation particularly for children and parents, although the results from this study are difficult to generalise, given the small sample size. This study has practical implications for EPs: by understanding parents’ and teachers’ perspectives this can help EPs in future planning for consultation. Further research should explore children’s perceptions of consultation.     

Determinants of school choice: understanding how parents choose elementary schools in Alberta

Rational choice theory suggests that parents are utility maximizers who make decisions from clear value preferences, that they are able to demand effective action from local schools and teachers, and that they can be relied upon to pursue the best interests of their children. This paper presents a different perspective and argues that parents invest a mixture of rationalities when selecting schools. Based on the results of a survey of 1,500 parents of students in 11 private, eight public and 10 alternative elementary schools in Alberta, Canada, this paper explores the logic, values, and concerns that inform parental decision making in the selection of an elementary school for their children and discusses implication for policy and educational reform.     

The history of education in non‐education periodicals, 1939–1967: A bibliography

Abstract

Children with special educational needs form a substantial minority of the school population. The mechanisms and associated resources in the 1981 Education Act were oriented towards children with statements of special educational needs and neglected children with special needs but without statements. This paper examines the recent shift in policy emphasis away from the former, and towards the latter, group. The precursors to this position, notably the unmanageable rise (for LEAs) in numbers of children with statements and the broadening of the basis on which children were given statements, are examined. Both the 1994 Code of Practice concerning children with special needs and the proposed changes to the National Curriculum can be seen in part as, by redefining non statemented special needs provision, mechanisms to tackle the inexorable increase in statements. Four major repercussions of this shift are discussed. Finally some longer term implications are examined.     

Special Education Policy for Learners with Mild Intellectual Disability in New Zealand: Problems and Issues

Current policy developments are intended to broaden the group of children receiving special education provisions traditionally reserved for those with mild intellectual disability. A definite policy has been formulated to close special classes and the use of individualized intelligence testing has been largely discontinued as a basis for establishing special educational need‐‐thus ostensibly providing greater flexibility for service allocation. The term “backward” (the traditional term for mild intellectual disability in New Zealand) has been rejected, and children with mild intellectual disability are now included in a new category “children with educational and social difficulties"‐‐a category which also includes children with specific learning difficulties, those with mild sensory disabilities, and those with mild emotional/behavioural difficulties. It is argued that available resources are grossly insufficient to provide high quality special educational services for all “children with educational and social difficulties,” that the decision to close special classes represents a premature and unsound reduction in the range of options available to children with mild intellectual disability, and that research into the effects of current policies on the lives of learners with mild intellectual disability and their families is urgently required but will now be very difficult to undertake.     

Voices of students with special educational needs (SEN): views on schooling

As important decisions are being made with regard to educational legislation, policy and provision for children with special educational needs (SEN), it is critical that the views of these key stakeholders are heard and considered. This article reports the perspectives of 38 children and young people with special educational needs on their schooling which formed part of a national review of the role of special schools and special classes in Ireland. Findings from the focus groups and individual interviews point to more favourable support for learning and social issues in special schools and special classes than in mainstream classes. Friendship is a recurrent theme in students' accounts and appears to mediate their enjoyment of school. The implications are considered with reference to research, policy and practice and the authors conclude that educators and policy makers should provide increased opportunities for students to play an active part in matters affecting them.     

A decade of change in mainstream education for children with intellectual disabilities in the Republic of Ireland

Inclusive rather than segregated schooling has been advocated in several significant international declarations during the past two decades. Even so children with significant intellectual disabilities are at greater risk of being excluded from mainstream education, unless particular efforts are made to support them in such settings. These children and young people are more likely to be educated in special schools or in special classes within mainstream schools. In the decade from 2003 to 2013, the Republic of Ireland enacted legislation and provided additional financial resources for pupils with special educational needs, although these were more constrained during the financial crisis that Ireland experienced from 2008 onwards. A national database, updated annually, is maintained of children receiving services from specialist intellectual disability services and this enabled comparisons to be made for the enrolments of over 8000 children aged 4–19 in mainstream and special schools following the introduction of legislation and availability of additional resources. The data showed a steady increase in children with significant intellectual disabilities attending mainstream classes and a decrease in the proportion attending special schools along with a much smaller but decreasing proportion in special classes. The profile of pupils with intellectual disabilities in mainstream and special schools also changed over the 10 years with higher proportions of males, of pupils with moderate disabilities and those of primary age attending mainstream schools, whereas special schools now tend to have higher proportions of females and those of secondary school age. However, there was marked regional variation in the proportions of pupils in mainstream schools which was attributed to the availability of special schools across the State. This study demonstrates how a national data-set can be used to track the impact that policy changes and legislation designed to enhance the development of inclusive learning environments had on the number of pupils availing of mainstream opportunities. It was also possible to identify prevailing trends in types of support provided within schools and the changing pattern of provision for pupils with different levels of intellectual disability. At the broader level of international trends in policy and provision aimed at establishing inclusive learning environments, this study demonstrates the need for a common frame of reference around which the national and international conversations on educational systems can take place.     

应试教育的经济解释

教育是实现社会流动的重要途径,每个家长都希望子女能够通过教育向更高的社会阶层流动。在当前的劳动用人体制和教育评价体制这两大“约束条件”下,家长对教育的重视转化成了对考试成绩的追求。改革应试教育,就要改革促使应试教育得以形成的“约束条件”——劳动用人体制和教育评价体制。     

对《义务教育法》有关特殊教育条款的分析

新修订的《义务教育法》继承了我国建国初期采取的对特殊教育的特殊政策,并将改革开放以来实施特殊教育的成功做法上升为法律,从政府责任、教育形式、教师待遇、经费投入、法律责任五个方面保障特殊儿童、少年受义务教育权利和教育权益。本文对相关条款进行分析的同时,对该法第十六条中的个别术语和文字表述的科学性进行了探讨。     

Responsibility and School Choice in Education

Consider the following argument for school choice, based on an appeal to the virtues of the market: allowing parents some measure of choice over their particular children's education ultimately serves the interests of all children, because creating a market mechanism in state education will produce improvements through the same pressures that lead to greater efficiency and quality when markets are deployed in more familiar contexts. The argument fails, because it is committed to a principle of equal concern, which (after analysis) implies that a market in education is acceptable only if it is right to hold children disadvantaged by their parents' poor market choices substantively responsible for the fact. Since that claim is untenable, the market‐based argument for school choice not only fails, but also turns out to rely on principles which in fact condemn the very policy it was supposed to support.     

Reflections on policy and practice of inclusive education in pre‐primary schools in Cyprus

In July 1999 the House of Parliament in Cyprus passed the Education Act for Children with Special Needs, according to which all children have the right to be educated in their neighbouring regular school together with their age‐mates. An important component of this law is that it introduces, for the first time, inclusive education into pre‐primary education. A child can be considered as having special needs only when he/she has attained the age of 3 years or older. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the policy of inclusive education is implemented in pre‐primary schools in ­Cyprus, to investigate whether some children are still marginalized (after the implementation of the new law) and, if they are, to identify factors influencing marginalization or acting as a barrier to inclusion. We also briefly present the results from a study we conducted that supports the discussion of the issues raised in this paper.