On ‘Politics,Markets, and American Schools‘

This paper traces the trajectory of New Labour education policy since the formation of the first New Labour government in 1997. During that time the policy discourse has moved from a position of individualized school improvement through competition, to one where there is an emphasis on ‘partnership’ and ‘collaboration’ as key mechanisms for improvement. We note, however, that ‘specialism’, ‘diversity’ and ‘choice’ are still key components of policy and that ‘partnership’ often denotes a deficit model, with more successful schools supporting (or in some cases taking over) less successful ones. Although there are the beginnings of a recognition that social class and social deprivation are factors which make achievement at school more problematic, generally New Labour policy has not attempted to alleviate the tendency to social polarization which has emerged as a result of school choice policies.     

University Faculty Attitudes Toward Guns on Campus

A number of states are currently reviewing legislation expanding handgun legislation, and studies examining the public's attitudes toward gun control legislation are abundant. This article examines attitudes of university faculty toward expanding the places where concealed handguns may be carried to include college campuses and churches. An opinion survey was administered to 287 faculty/administrators. Bivariate relationships are discussed, as well as three regression models examining the effects of six independent variables on support for current gun legislation, support for expanding concealed carry on college campuses, and support for expanding concealed carry in places of worship. Results showed that a substantial majority of faculty opposes such legislation, but support or opposition is significantly determined by political party and gun ownership.     

A Comparison of Responsive Interventions on Kindergarteners’ Early Reading Achievement

This study compared the effects of Tier 2 reading interventions that operated in response‐to‐intervention contexts. Kindergarten children (N = 90) who were identified as at risk for reading difficulties were stratified by school and randomly assigned to receive (a) Early Reading Intervention (ERI; Pearson/Scott Foresman, 2004) modified in response to student performance or (b) their schools’ typical supplemental reading intervention (regrouping and curriculum pacing adjustments). In both conditions, intervention was provided 30 minutes per day in small groups for approximately 100 sessions. Results indicated no statistically significant group differences on any outcome measures. Between‐group effect sizes revealed substantively important differences (Valentine & Cooper, 2003) favoring the ERI responsive condition on multiple measures with effect sizes ranging from .35 to .59. Overall, findings indicated that the majority of students in both Tier 2 intervention conditions performed above the 30th percentile on posttest measures of word reading measures.     

Behavior Breakthroughs™: Future Teachers Reflect on a Focused Game Designed to Teach ABA Techniques

This article examines the use of a focused educational game. The game, Behavior Breakthroughs™, was created to teach people that work with children with autism, appropriate behavior management techniques. A group of undergraduate, teacher education students played the game and provided feedback on their experiences.     

Defining Dispositions: Wading Through Murky Waters

Abstract

Efforts to professionalize teaching have coincided with a shift in teacher education programs. Recent requirements of accrediting bodies have resulted in initiatives to assess dispositions in addition to knowledge and skills. However, for such assessment to maintain construct validity, it is imperative first to develop some common understandings about the nature of dispositions and then to explore how teacher education should be addressing them. This paper explores dispositions from both a conceptual and a practical perspective. Dispositions are described as a point of convergence, representing a filter through which thinking and behaviors related to teaching are framed, and a point of inception, from which knowledge and behaviors emanate. This dispositional filter encompasses the teacher s awareness, inclination, and ability to reflect. Teacher education programs can foster dispositions by helping teacher candidates engage in self‐exploration of their personal theories and identify their own values and assumptions related to teaching.