Decision making in school-based management leadership councils: The impact of council membership diversity

School-based management (SBM) is a potentially valuable reform mechanism in urban school districts in which each school serves a unique mix of students drawn from a heterogeneous population. Because SBM usually relies on leadership councils that function as the decision-making bodies for individual schools, its effectiveness as a reform mechanism ultimately depends on the quality of these councils. This research explores how council decision-making quality is affected by five dimensions of council diversity. Results indicate that diversity in terms of council member roles and tenure in the district is related to council decision-making quality, while ethnic and gender diversity and diversity in council experience are unrelated to decision processes. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.     

Incorporating students’ voices in the ‘Lesson Study’ as a teacher-training and improvement strategy for inclusion / La incorporación de la voz del alumnado a la ‘Lesson Study’ como estrategia de formación docente y mejora para la inclusión

An experience of collaborative action research to improve teaching practices from an inclusive perspective is discussed. The aim of the project is to promote teaching practices for compulsory secondary education teachers that facilitate all students’ learning and participation. We have used two strategies as catalysts of change. The first is student participation and the second is teacher collaboration in developing what is called the Lesson Study. Different phases in the action research are discussed, as are the dynamics used. The didactic experience focuses particularly on student participation. The results show the potential of the planning process to help student voices to be heard and taken into account as a way to improve teaching practice and reduce marginalization. Finally, we examine some lessons learned, including conditions and barriers that may limit these processes, as well as challenges.     

Understanding inclusion support systems: three inspiring experiences / Comprendiendo los sistemas de apoyo para la inclusión: tres experiencias inspiradoras

This article presents the findings of an empirical study that aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of how inclusive support systems are configured. A qualitative case study approach was used to explore the trajectories, shared beliefs and daily practices that shape the dynamics of three educational centres recognized by external assessors for their inclusive policies and attention to diversity. The analysis carried out enabled the identification of patterns of worldviews and practices that underpin the development of sustainable inclusive school proposals, as well as an understanding of the complex interrelationship between context, resources, opportunities, threats and teaching approaches that define particular dynamics. The findings obtained help to illustrate and provide inspiration for other schools committed to defending the basic rights of all children and young people, as well as designers of educational policies and programmes.     

Investigating the double-deficit hypothesis of developmental dyslexia in an orthography of intermediate depth

The present study aimed to investigate the double-deficit hypothesis (DDH) in an orthography of intermediate depth. Eighty-five European Portuguese-speaking children with developmental dyslexia, aged 7 to 12, were tested on measures of phonological awareness (PA), naming speed (NS), reading, and spelling. The results indicated that PA and NS were not significantly correlated, and that NS predicts reading fluency (but not reading accuracy and spelling) beyond what is accounted for by PA. Although the majority of the children with developmental dyslexia have double deficit (62.4%), some children have a single phonological deficit (24.7%) or a single NS deficit (8.2%). Children with a double deficit were not more impaired in reading fluency, reading accuracy, and spelling than both single-deficit subtypes. In conclusion, the findings of the present study are partially consistent with the DDH and provide evidence for the multifactorial model of developmental dyslexia. Implications of the DDH for an orthography of intermediate depth are emphasized.

     

Three models,one goal: Assessing financial vulnerability in New Zealand amateur sports clubs

Financial vulnerability is a critical issue for nonprofit sports clubs due to clubs’ increasing costs and impediments to generating sufficient income. The first objective of this study is to derive a conceptual understanding of financial vulnerability for sports clubs by assessing three financial vulnerability models, two of which have previously been applied in the nonprofit sector generally. Two models are based on revenue patterns and expenditure, and the third is based on movements in Net Assets over four years. A second objective is to identify determinants of financial vulnerability within amateur sports clubs, focusing specifically on golf and football.The data to test these models were derived from the financial reports of 227 amateur sports clubs in New Zealand (98 football and 129 golf clubs). Each of the three models results in different predictive variables and has different explanatory strengths. For example, football clubs that were financially vulnerable under Model 1: Program Expenditure had declining revenues from members and trading, as well as high administration costs. Conversely, declining reserves are predictive in financially vulnerable golf clubs using Model 2: Net Assets. Model 3: Net Earnings was generalizable to both football and golf clubs. The explanatory variables were different between these sports, due to their different asset base and propensity to employ paid staff. The common variables those with oversight responsibilities should monitor against financial vulnerability are: an undue reliance on external, rather than member-based revenue, increasing debt, and excessive expenditure. Further research could extend this model to other sports and other jurisdictions.