Introduction−justifying a cross-cultural comparative approach to school leadership and management

England's Education Action Zones are a flagship New Labour policy geared towards raising standards and reducing social exclusion in areas of educational under-performance. This introduction outlines key features of the policy, considers its broader significance in relation to new models of educational governance and pulls out some of the key issues that arise from the contributions to this special feature.     

The other exit: The definitive statement on management theory and practice in our time

As part of an investigation into the progress of the appraisal of primary school headteachers in three LEAs in the Midlands, the three LEA appraisal coordinators concerned were interviewed in advance of a sample of the headteachers. From the three semi-structured interviews it was possible to detect interesting differences, as well as similarities, in the procedures adopted in the LEAs. In one case the advisers were unable to meet the statutory obligation for there to be an LEA officer involved in each appraisal and reporting back to the LEA appeared to be very patchy. This stemmed from resource constraints which were also seen as a looming problem by the other coordinators. In all three cases the coordinators had tried to ensure that the implementation of headteacher appraisal was as non-threatening as possible. This had led in some cases to a level of reciprocity of appraisal together with a degree of choice which might be seen as a more comfortable set of arrangements than many managers outside education or, for that matter, class teachers might encounter. The outcomes were, however, seen as very positive staff development for the heads concerned. (This is being confirmed by the overwhelming majority of the heads themselves in the interviews with them which have taken place subsequently.) Although appraisal reports on heads are available by law to the chairpersons of governing bodies, there was evidence that such feedback as there was tended to be perfunctory in many cases. There is evidence that this is not through carelessness. Appraisal of headteachers may not be following the lines of accountability originally favoured by the government. This may account for some evidence of government disenchantment with the appraisal process in education as it currently operates.     

Development of an Early Hebrew Oral Reading Fluency Measure

Currently, there are no Hebrew (L2) reading assessments that have been tested to obtain evidence for reliability and validity on which to base decisions about Hebrew instruction. The authors developed a Hebrew benchmark assessment tool for first grade students modeled after Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, a standardized test of accuracy and fluency used to identify at-risk students and to monitor student progress. Results of pilot data collection (N=53) provide evidence for strong alternate form reliability for this measure, as well as evidence for content, face and criterion-related validity. Future directions for research and development are discussed.     

“May god have mercy on your soul!” Exploring and teaching a course on the death penalty

Teaching a course with emotive content presents faculty with a number of challenges. This article reflects on the lessons learned when teaching a semester-long course on the death penalty at a liberal arts university in the U.S. South. The course explored cultural, religious, historical, national, and international perspectives on the nature of punishment and the right to execute, the methods used in the death penalty, the efficacy of the death penalty, and future directions. The organization, presentation and teaching aids employed throughout this course sought to ensure an objective stance and focused on improving critical thinking among students.     

A Guide to Analyzing Message–Response Sequences and Group Interaction Patterns in Computer‐mediated Communication

This paper proposes a set of methods and a framework for evaluating, modeling, and predicting group interactions in computer‐mediated communication. The method of sequential analysis is described along with specific software tools and techniques to facilitate the analysis of message–response sequences. In addition, the Dialogic Theory and its assumptions are presented to establish a theoretical framework and guide to using sequential analysis in computer‐mediated communication research. Step‐by‐step instructions are presented to illustrate how sequential analysis can be used to measure the way latent variables (e.g., message function, response latency, communication style) and exogenous variables (e.g., gender, discourse rules, context) affect how likely a message is to elicit a response, the types of responses elicited by the message, and whether or not the elicited sequence of responses (e.g., claim → challenge → explain) mirror the processes that support group decision‐making, problem‐solving, and learning.     

Envisioning outcomes from choosing the midwifery model of perinatal care

This birth story illustrates one woman's view of the importance of the type of birthing care she received and the involvement of her existing child in a second birth. The value of the mother's vision and her ability to participate in fully informed choices are emphasized.