The New Jersey takeover legislation: Help or hindrance to improvement in troubled school districts

It started in New Jersey in 1988 when the state's department of education took over the Jersey City Public Schools. At the time of the Jersey City takeover, the school system was, by all accounts, among the worst in the Garden State. Now takeover legislation is on the books in nine states, and legislation is pending elsewhere. Does handing over the reins—after a lengthy monitoring process—lead to significant improvements in student achievement and school system operation? In short, is takeover an effective means of school reform? This article traces the three-year road leading to state takeover in Jersey City and questions the wisdom of New Jersey's aproach in failing districts.     

Remediation and Dismissal Policies in Counselor Education: Lessons Learned from a Challenge in Federal Court

Counselor educators today are faced with a difficult dilemma. They are mandated to dismiss students they judged to be unfit and irremediable, yet they risk legal action whenever executing a student dismissal decision. Their duty to protect the public must be weighed against the liabilities of costly litigation to institutions, programs, and themselves. This article describes 1 counselor education program's decision to dismiss a student and endure a lengthy, although unsuccessful, lawsuit and jury trial in federal court. The strengths and weaknesses of the program's remediation and dismissal protocol are examined as they emerged under court scrutiny.     

Introduction

On July 9, 1996, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued its landmark school desegregation decision, Sheff v. O'Neill. More than a decade later, Hartford's schoolchildren are as segregated as they were when the case was first filed in 1989. Based on data from a statewide survey and data collected from two focus groups of white parents collected shortly after the State's High Court ruling, this investigation reveals that the racial attitudes of white parents were, from the beginning, a major obstacle to a successful resolution of the Sheff impasse.     

WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM PROGRAMS IN NEW JERSEY'S PUBLIC COLLEGES

Since 1976 in response to growing concern about college students’ writing abilities, faculty development programs on writing across the curriculum have arisen in a number of two‐ and four‐year colleges throughout the United States. This movement, for it seems to be one, has its roots in a similar movement that began more than 15 years ago in British secondary schools. This paper first reviews briefly the early history of the movement in England and compares the movement there to the one now under way in U.S. higher education. It then presents the results of a questionnaire survey of New Jersey's public two‐ and four‐year colleges undertaken in the spring of 1979. The purpose of the survey was to determine whether and to what extent New Jersey's public colleges had started or were planning to start development programs designed to bring groups of faculty together, across disciplines, to discuss problems relating to student writing performance and to develop specific interdisciplinary plans for solving these problems. In addition, information is presented about the nature of the steps taken in those institutions that reported having initiated such programs and about the efforts to evaluate the impact of these programs. Finally, conclusions are drawn about the state of writing across the curriculum programs in New Jersey public higher education and recommendations are made for further action in this direction.     

Cultivating New Qualified Teachers for Implementing Quality Education

Editor's note: At present and for a period to come, a most important and urgent task in basic education is to bring about the "switching of tracks" from exam-oriented education, (or yingshi jiaoyu) to quality education (or suzhi jiaoyu). We have often said that the hope for reviving the nation lies in education, and the hope of reviving education lies with teachers. If we are to bring about this "switching of tracks" from exam-oriented to quality education, we shall have to successfully cultivate group after group of new teachers capable of carrying out quality education. In today's issue of this paper, we deliver the following report on the experience of one school—the Lingling Teachers' Vocational College—in cultivating new lower middle school teachers who will carry out quality education; this report and the experience it describes should hold, for us, a certain significance of leading us in thinking about the subject.     

The Innovative Educational Thought of Jane Roland Martin: A Review Essay

D. G. Mulcahy highlights some of Jane Roland Martin's major contributions to the field of philosophy of education in this review essay. He focuses on several of Martin's better‐known works — including Reclaiming a Conversation, The Schoolhome, Changing the Educational Landscape, Coming of Age in Academe, Educational Metamorphoses, and School Was Our Life — tracing through them the development of her reconceptualization of the idea of a liberal education from the early1980s to the present day. Viewing Martin's contribution from the perspective of liberal education, he contends, underscores the optimistic spirit of her work as well as its originality and significance for the theory of education as a whole. Mulcahy gives particular attention to these elements of Martin's thought: the importance she attributes to educating the young for active participation in the world and not mere observation of it; her analysis of the range and complexity of our cultural wealth; her concept of a gender‐sensitive education; and her emphasis on the unique contribution of the experience of women to education. Martin's substantial body of work, Mulcahy concludes, stands as a compelling alternative to mainstream educational theorizing, one that offers hope for the potential of educational renewal.     

The new books on our shelves

Safeguarding the School Board's Purchase of Architects' Working Drawings. By Arthur Marcus Proctor. New York: Columbia University, 1931. Pp. iii + 138.

The Platoon School in America. By Roscoe David Case. Stanford University: Stanford University Press, 1931. Pp. vii + 283.

Business Management in School Systems of Different Sizes. By M. B. Brunstetter. New York: Columbia University, 1931. Pp. v + 135.

Vegetable Growing. By James Edward Knott. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1930. Pp. xvi + 352.

Educational Finance Studies. By Carter Alexander. New York: Bureau of Publications, Columbia University, 1931. Pp. vi + 92.

Reserve Funds in Public School Finance. By Frank C. Ketler. New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, 1931. Pp. vii + 77.

Students' Guide to Modern Languages. By Wilson. New York: Isaac Pitman and Sons, 1930.

Air Travel. By James E. Mooney. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1930. Pp. xvi + 311.

The Art of Learning. By Walter B. Pitkin. New York: McGraw‐Hill Book Company, 1931. Pp. v + 409.

A Study of the Ohio Compulsory Education and Child Labor Law. By Arch O. Heck. Columbus: Ohio State University, 1931. Pp. v + 210.

My Educational Guidebook. By Robert H. Rodgers and Harry S. Belman. Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1930. Pp. 24.     

Assessing the Use of Econometric Analysis in Estimating the Costs of Meeting State Education Accountability Standards" Lessons From Texas

In 2004, over 300 school districts in Texas challenged the constitutionality of the Texas system of school finance. In West Orange-Cove et al. v. Neeley et al., the plaintiffs argued that because most school districts were at or near a state-imposed property tax rate ceiling and because the share of state education funding was declining, most school districts had inadequate funds to satisfy the student performance standards mandated by the Texas Educational Accountability system. To address the empirical question of whether school districts have insufficient resources to meet the state's accountability standards, two cost function analyses were conducted. One study, entered into evidence by the state of Texas, reached the conclusion that "in aggregate, the level of education funding in Texas is more than sufficient to meet performance goals consistent with the state's accountability system." The other study, entered into evidence by the plaintiff school districts, concluded that, in aggregate, Texas school districts would need at least $2 billion in additional revenue to satisfy the requirements of the accountability system. In this article we describe the methodological similarities and differences between the two cost function studies and provide an assessment of why the two studies arrive at such different results. Based on the outcome of the case in district court-a victory for the plaintiffs-the article draws some lessons about the use of statistical-based models in a judicial setting.     

A study of the scientific interests of dwellers in small towns and in the country

Congress's role in defining and promoting equality of educational opportunity has evolved over the past 55 years since Brown v. Board of Education. Most recently, all three branches of the federal government have focused more on equality of educational opportunity for individual students rather than for protected classes. In this article, the authors combine two different frameworks to assess Congress's evolving role in ensuring equality of educational opportunity for all students—particularly given the new political and economic realities facing the nation. The first is federalism; the second is policy instruments for advancing varied goals in education, which the authors use to examine specific policy domains where Congress might increase its impact on equality of educational opportunity. These domains are concerned with “incentivizing equity” through competitive grants designed to reduce racial and socioeconomic inequality, improving existing categorical grant programs to make them more targeted and efficient, and strengthening enforcement of existing policies and programs. Throughout, the authors consider how recent research about equality of best be brought to bear on congressional priorities. In conclusion, they discuss the political realities facing Congress in 2012 and beyond, including partisanship and the prospect of cuts to pre-K-12 education spending.     

A Sound Research Base for Beginning Teacher Education: Robust hope,action policy analysis and Top of the Class

This paper focuses on the recommendations of Top of the class, the February 2007 report of an inquiry into teacher education conducted by the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training. To do this action policy analysis, it presents Raymond Williams' dictum of “making hope practical” through five interdependent strategies. Then it scrutinises and uses them by exploring the relationship between this report's recommendations and, the deepening and extension of the basis for sound educational research. Critical self‐reflection focuses on rigorously re‐examining what is taken as good educational research. Framing entails identifying the good sense in policies, challenging teacher education stakeholders to collectively advance life‐enhancing agendas. Engaging in research with the real world of winners and losers in education is a third strategy. Assessing the desirability and dangers in current teacher education policies and programs is integral to making decisions about the field's future. Communicating the spirit of teacher education publicly is necessary for constructing the grounds for forward movements. It is argued that these strategies may provide support for new directions in researching productive innovations and policy actions in beginning teacher education.     

The Forgotten Brown Case: Briggs v. Elliott and Its Legacy in South Carolina

ABSTRACT

There is not much debate regarding the Brown decision and the significance of the foundation it provided for access to equal educational opportunity and the school funding litigation movement; however, it is important to recognize that the inception of Brown can be traced back to a small rural town in South Carolina. Three years before the Supreme Court heard Brown v. Board, the legal strategy to attack separate but equal was formed in Summerton, South Carolina, with Briggs v. Elliott. Briggs was the first school funding lawsuit in South Carolina. More than 65 years after the first school funding lawsuit was filed in the state of South Carolina, rural school districts are still waiting for the state to provide adequate educational opportunity for poor, rural, mostly Black students. The schools in these districts are arguably still segregated, still unequal, and still inadequate. The purpose of this article is to examine the history and legacy of Briggs v. Elliot. The article begins with exploring the historical legal background of education finance litigation in South Carolina. This is followed by a snapshot of the prevalence of school segregation and educational inadequacies of the rural school districts represented in Briggs and recent lawsuits. Furthermore, the article discusses the role and function of the courts regarding South Carolina education, in addition to enacted legislation and the role of race. The article concludes with implications regarding policy and potential future legal strategies.     

浅论经济公益诉讼的原告资格

关于经济公益诉讼制度的研究是近年来法学理论界探讨的一大热点,而经济公益诉讼原告主体资格问题一直是经济公益诉讼制度研究中的一个重要问题。传统诉讼法＂直接利害关系人＂理论阻碍并限制了经济公益诉讼原告主体资格的确定。在司法实践中,扩大原告主体资格的范围,赋予检察院、社会团体、受害者及其家属原告资格,才能扩大经济公益诉讼的适用范围,更有力地保障公共利益。国外主要国家对于经济公益诉讼原告资格的界定经历了一个历史过程,对我国经济公益诉讼原告资格的构建具有一定的借鉴意义。     

A Survey of General and Special Education Teachers' Perceptions and Inservice Needs Concerning Inclusion

To improve educational services to students with disabilities, the United States government has mandated that each state develop a Comprehensive System of Personnel Development. The following article highlights the results of a state-wide needs assessment conducted by one state's Department of Education in order to tailor their system of personnel development. Four percent of the state's general educators, and 6% of the state's special education teachers completed the surveys for a total of 289 surveys. Perceptions of ability to positively affect students, understanding of inclusion, self-efficacy in serving students in inclusive settings, the need for inservice training in various areas, and the availability of supports to promote inclusion were examined for both special and general education teachers. In every area assessed, special education teachers rated their efficacy, ability, understanding, and resources higher than general education teachers. These results are discussed in terms of meeting professional development needs for both groups of teachers.     

A sociology ‘of’ or a sociology ‘for’ education? The New Zealand experience of the dilemma

The sociology of education in New Zealand, as in other countries, is affected by the dilemma inherent to the discipline, namely: is it a sociology of education or a sociology for education? In this article I analyse three factors in which the dilemma is played out: ‘cultural oppositionism’ in the indigenous (kaupapa Maori) approach, critical policy research and the role of empirical research. I argue that a sociology for education is fundamentally weakened by its politicisation, a flaw not helped by the difficulties in drawing political goals from moral imperatives. In contrast a sociology of education, which uses the strengths of empirical research and theoretical analysis, offers the better hope of renewal for, what is, in New Zealand, a moribund discipline.     

Introduction to the Special Issue on Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards: New Policy,New Practices,and Persistent Challenges

This introduction to the special issue titled Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards: New Policy, New Practices, and Persistent Challenges addresses the federal policy introducing the new alternate assessment for students with persistent academic difficulties, as well as related implementation issues that will be more thoroughly considered throughout the journal. Three guidelines are identified within the policy for alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MASs), including that (a) a state's grade-level academic content standards cannot be modified for an AA-MAS, (b) a state's general test can be modified for an AA-MAS, and (c) a state's achievement standards can be modified for an AA-MAS so long as they remain on grade level. This article introduces key issues including identification of students eligible for an AA-MAS, the degree of modification that can be applied to develop an AA-MAS, and the current state of AA-MAS development across the nation. The article concludes with overviews of each contribution in the journal.     

行政公益诉讼的价值关怀与现实依归

行政公益诉讼是遏制公共利益受损害日益严重和维护民众合法权益的需要,也是以司法监督、制约行政,以私权利制约行政权力的要求。施行行政公益诉讼,须扩张原告资格,扩大受案范围,确定司法管辖权,为原告解决诉讼费用,明确举证责任,建立原告胜诉奖励制度,并广泛推行律师风险代理制等。     

Mapping the Contours of Neoliberal Educational Restructuring: A Review of Recent Neo‐Marxist Studies of Education and Racial Capitalist Considerations

In this article Clayton Pierce reviews three books representative of the recent neo‐Marxist literature on education: David Blacker's The Falling Rate of Learning and the Neoliberal Endgame, John Marsh's Class Dismissed: Why We Cannot Teach or Learn Our Way out of Inequality, and Pauline Lipman's The New Political Economy of Urban Education: Neoliberalism, Race, and the Right to the City. His analysis of these books focuses on how each author remains consistent or advances traditional Marxist interpretations of the role of education in capitalist society. In addition, he puts the arguments of each author into conversation with W. E. B. Du Bois's analysis of schooling in a racial capitalist society — what he called caste education — as a way to generate discussion around some of the inherent limitations of Marxist studies of education. Here, Pierce is particularly concerned with the ability of neo‐Marxist analyses of the neoliberal restructuring of education to articulate how white supremacy is preserved even in revolutionary critiques of capitalist schooling.     

Poverty and Childhood∗

ABSTRACT

The child‐centred theme of natural development in Rousseau's Emile has exercised a powerful and benign influence on education. Rousseau's proposed curriculum for girls, however, seems extraordinarily illiberal, requiring as it does a rigorous preparation for playing the traditional female role in a male‐dominated society.

It is argued here that such a conservative policy on the education of girls is inevitable in an educational theory which makes a virtue of its empirical foundations. Observational studies of the female's nature and of her needs and interests portray her as society permits or requires her to be rather than as she could or should be. This is a dangerous weakness in influential twentieth‐century versions of child‐centred theory which have embraced a scientific approach in the hope of enhancing their credibility. The full educational development of girls, however, requires a distinctive vision of how things ought to be, a willingness to defend such value judgments, and a determination to intervene positively in the classroom.     

Table of Contents

ARTICLES A Model for Integrating Assessment Across an Undergraduate Political Science Major Shala Mills, Bryan Bennett, C. B. Crawford, Lawrence Gould Editor's Notes Trudy W. Banta What Is a Rubric? Merilee Griffin The Internal Consultant Model for Assessment Kristi L. Lewis, Peter J. Swerdzewski The Art of Making Assessment Anti‐Venom: Injecting Assessment in Small Doses to Create a Faculty Culture of Assessment Philip I. Kramer COLUMN Assessment Measures Gary R. Pike