Teacher Appraisal in Hong Kong Self-Managing Secondary Schools: Factors for Effective Practices

The two most important purposes of appraisal in schools are teacher improvement and personnel decision making, which are often referred to as formative and summative purposes, respectively. Staff appraisal was introduced to Hong Kong secondary schools participating in the School Management Initiative scheme. These schools have adopted a school management system based on the principles of self-managing schools. Data on appraisal systems as well as teachers recent experiences of appraisal were collected in a survey. This study has found that the overall perceived effectiveness of an appraisal system is related to both its formative and summative outcomes. The formative outcomes for teachers are associated with teachers attitudes to the formative purposes of appraisal, the appraisal procedure, and most important, the nature and quality of feedback received. The study has also found that summative outcomes and formative outcomes are interrelated.     

论理解教育是学校内涵式发展的有效战略

理解教育是学校内涵式发展的有效战略.之所以有效,是因为它的诸多科学举措.这主要包括创建理解型学校,变革校园文化;自然分材,提升教学质量;校本培育,提高师资水平;合作学习,促进学生全面发展.     

校园欺负行为中的人格特征研究及干预策略

欺负是中小学生经常发生且较为普遍的一种现象,对中小学生的健康发展具有危害性。从自我认知、情感认知和同伴交往等方面分析欺负者、受欺者、旁观者的人格特点,联系个人、家庭、学校、环境等因素与欺负行为的关系,针对这些因素提出建议措施对校园欺负行为进行有效干预,建立社会—学校—家庭—儿童的四级模式,以期减少欺负行为的发生。     

全球伙伴战略与中国的伙伴外交

近年来，全球外交领域出现了一些引人注目的现象：许多国家忙着建立伙伴关系，经济外交日趋突出，首脑会晤次数增加，热线电话彼伏此起。面对这种情况，我国也实施了全方位的、积极的伙伴外交战略，这不仅标志着我国与外部世界关系的发展已进入一个新阶段，而且非常有利于我国的和平崛起。     

Strides Toward Equity in an Urban Center: Temple University's Professional Development Schools Partnership

Many educators believe that the goal of equity is far from being achieved given the dilemmas faced by today's inner city public schools. The authors examine the potential of Temple University's Professional Development School Partnership, a collaborative project with the School District of Philadelphia, to facilitate educational equity within an urban center. Current understandings of the construct of equity are identified and used to explore the possibilities and challenges of striving for equity in the urban center. The development of this partnership documents growth into a more inclusive, expansive, and collaborative style of working together. A closer look into this process is provided by an in-depth discussion of two essential components of the partnership, namely, its culturally responsive process and its objective of transforming the teaching and learning conditions of schools. It is argued that school systems need to look critically at their own educational resources as well as policies and practices to guarantee that they genuinely promote participation and achievement of all students. In essence we contend that there cannot be equity without the assurance that students will achieve to their fullest potential.     

An International Partnership Promoting Psychological Well-Being in Sri Lankan Schools

This article illustrates the application of psychological and educational consultation in an international setting. With the goal of promoting psychological well-being of the school-age population, a partnership was formed between an American school psychologist and a Sri Lankan educational sociologist and teacher educator. The partners, or co-consultants, engaged in a recursive research–intervention process using participatory culture-specific system consultation to learn the culture; conduct formative research; form partnerships in selected systems; and subsequently develop culture- and context-specific conceptual models, interventions, and assessment/evaluation measures for promoting the psychological well-being of students in Sri Lankan schools. This article describes the stages of the collaborative work across almost two decades and the challenges and benefits inherent in international partnerships.     

论江泽民的伙伴外交战略

冷战结束后，国际形势发生了巨大变化，各国从本国的国家利益和民族利益出发，纷纷调整自己的对内对外政策。以江泽民为核心的党的第三代领导集体审时度势，根据自身的国力，提出了有利于实现社会主义初级阶段目标和国际社会和平发展的阶段性外交战略，即伙伴外交战略。     

A Pilot Study to Identify Comparison Schools for Math and Science Partnership Participating Schools: Preliminary Findings on One Math/Science Partnership

This pilot study proposes a set of analytical steps for comparing schools that participate in the National Science Foundation's Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program and their nonparticipating peers in the same state. This pilot is part of a larger effort to evaluate the MSP Program's role in student achievement, with two companion analyses. Although our pilot study uses a comparative approach, the study by Dimitrov in this issue follows a within-group design. The third analysis by Yin and his associates in this issue covers the varied designs used by the MSPs themselves in their own evaluations.

In this pilot, we focus on a sample of participating schools in one MSP in one state. The nonparticipating schools were carefully matched with the program participating schools on eight demographic variables to form a comparison group. This article offers detailed documentation on how we operationalize two matching methods for comparative purpose. We conclude that carefully executed matching methods are promising for large scale comparative analysis on the effects of the MSP Program across different states.     

Responses of First-Year Participants in a Middle School Professional Development Schools Partnership

Abstract

The sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of university and public school participants in a middle school Professional Development Schools (PDS) partnership were investigated. Of the 86 participants in 12 collaborative inquiry partnership groups, 66 completed a 22-item questionnaire at the end of their 1st year of PDS participation. Results indicated that satisfaction appeared to outweigh dissatisfaction and that members of co-led (a university and a school leader) groups were more satisfied with group leadership and with the PDS experience overall than were members of singly led groups. A number of sources of satisfaction and barriers to satisfaction were identified. Implications of the results for the long-term viability of the PDS model are discussed.     

伙伴战略:中国外交的理性抉择

实施伙伴战略,是当前中国外交的最佳选择.它的核心点就在于重对话、讲合作、结伙伴,重视全方位、多层次地与世界各国积极而广泛地发展良性互动的双边友好合作关系.中国目前在外交上奉行伙伴战略,实质上等于公开宣告自己既不会主动与别国进行对抗,也不会谋求霸权或者同别国结盟,而是要真心实意地与一切国家友好合作.中国实施伙伴战略,既有利于处理好本国外交所面临的"点”、"线”、"面”三大问题,也有利于使自己在外交上赢得主动.     

'A Quiet Place' Project: an of Early Therapeutic Intervention within Mainstream Schools

This paper discusses the nature of the therapeutic intervention provided by A Quiet Place project, outlining its aims, objectives, philosophy and intervention protocol. In line with the requirements of the action research paradigm according to which the project was established, this article evaluates the changes and developments that have occurred since its inception. Noting the strengths and weaknesses of the pilot study, the present study reports on the internal and external monitoring procedures, extending the latter via the development of observation scales specific to the nature of the intervention. Participants (N=54) were matched with a non–participant control group on variables of gender, age and background. Data were collected before and after the six week intervention period, producing an index of change on a bipolar scale of positive and negative behaviours. An independent samples t–test revealed that the overall change observed was statistically significant (p<0.001), while analysis by behaviour category, gender, age and reason for referral provided greater detail for the meaningful interpretation of results. Fran Renwick, a lecturer at the University of Liverpool Department of Education, and Bob Spalding, senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool Department of Education, conclude that these overwhelmingly positive results need to be treated with cautious optimism, pending longer–term follow–up data to determine the degree to which gains are maintained over time.     

New Forms of Partnership Between Schools and Teacher Education Institutes in The Netherlands

Teacher educators are not satisfied with their relations with the schools. In Holland, student teachers go to schools for their teaching practice and obtain the topics of their research projects from their practical experiences. Cooperating teachers are trained to supervise the student teachers during their practice periods. In this paper three attempts to improve the relationship between schools and teacher education institutes are described, analysed and the advantages given for the different partners (student teachers, teacher education, schools). The conclusion is that for the professional development of prospective teachers well organised and complete partnerships between schools and teacher education institutes are crucial.     

小学生欺负问题的干预研究

采用行动研究法在某小学进行欺负问题的干预研究,通过为期五周的干预,实验班学生上学和放学路上受欺负的比率和在学校情境中受欺负的程度显著下降,三年级的下降幅度大于五年级的;学生在学校里安全感增强;教师的研究意识和解决问题的能力得到增强和提高。     

构建小学数学高效课堂的策略研究

提高课堂教学效率,增强课堂教学效果,是所有小学数学教师的毕生追求。新课改要求教师必须在课堂教学上下功夫,向课堂40分钟要质量;要不断探索科学、合理、高效的教学方法,努力减轻学生过重的课业负担,把学生从书山题海中解救出来;要善于激发学生的学习热情,教会学生自主学习,培养学生自学能力。     

A Strategy for Early Intervention

An infant school's approach to assessment with teachers using time sampling techniques to observe and record behaviour is described by Mavis Willay, head of Rotherfield Infants School, Inner London Education Authority     

The National Network of Partnership Schools: How Research Influences Educational Practice

The National Network of Partnership Schools was initiated in 1996 to assist schools, districts, and states in developing comprehensive programs of school, family, and community partnership as part of their school improvement efforts. Members of the National Network are provided with tools and strategies to implement partnership activities that promote students' success. These tools and strategies are based on over 15 years of research conducted by Epstein and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins University. Through a discussion of the development of the National Network, this article illustrates how research can be used to inform and improve educational practice in schools, districts, and states. It does so by highlighting the center's research on family and community involvement conducted since 1987 with elementary, middle, and high schools; school districts; and state departments of education across the United States. This research generated the knowledge needed to establish the National Network of Partnership Schools, which presently works with over 1,100 schools, 130 districts, and 12 states to help them develop permanent and productive school, family, and community partnership programs.