‘Tomorrow's Schools’ in New Zealand: from social democracy to market managerialism

This paper uses one national case to illustrate how diverse ideological agendas of central state agencies contest the discursive space within which major education policy reforms are developed. In Aotearoa New Zealand in 1988, ‘self‐managed’ schools were promoted ostensibly to allow parents more say in their children’s education and local school administration. The Tomorrow’s Schools reform policy texts included an existing social democratic partnership rhetoric, positioning principals as professional leaders working collaboratively with elected parent boards of trustees. However, the new ideology of ‘parental choice’ of school within a local schooling marketplace, underpinned by a chief executive or market managerial model of principalship, was later operationalised through mechanisms of ‘steerage’ from the centre. To explain this shift, we examine selected policy text pre‐cursors to the reforms and identify how contrasting forms of ‘principal’ and ‘teacher’ identity emerged within social democratic, neo‐liberal and market managerial ideologies. We further show that while radical (Treasury) market liberal arguments for labour market deregulation and consumer choice failed to gain widespread support, the State Services Commission preferred market managerialist strategies for promoting public accountability of schools (based on aggregate student achievement outcome data and centrally determined national educational priorities) were successfully embedded during the 1990s.     

II. DEVELOPMENT OF ADOPTED CHILDREN WITH HISTORIES OF EARLY ADVERSITY

This chapter first presents a review of research on the development of adopted children, focusing on meta‐analytic evidence and highlighting comparisons between adopted children with and without histories of early adversity. Some methodological issues arising from this literature are considered as well. Second, 7 longitudinal studies of adopted children's development are described, and the convergence of findings across the longitudinal studies and with the cross‐sectionally based meta‐analytic evidence is discussed. Third, the role of the adoptive family in supporting adopted children's development is explored.     

Relationships, trust and learning: experiences of emerging professionals working in collecting institutions

When emerging professionals start working in archival institutions, libraries and museums (also referred to as collecting institutions), they bring knowledge and skills gained through internships, formal study, volunteer activities and previous work experience. They learn new processes quickly, are passionate about working with holdings or collections and are keen to build their knowledge. They gain exposure to the different disciplines that are reflected in the roles of archival institutions, libraries and museums as they build their professional identity and consider future career directions. What else do they need? A research study about the experiences of a group of individuals embarking on first or subsequent careers and starting new positions in collecting institutions found that relationships were an essential component in developing their skills and knowledge and planning their future directions. The article would be of interest to students looking ahead to working in an archives, library or museum and exploring career paths; supervisors and mentors who work with emerging professionals; professional associations and communities of practice; and educators who have a role in developing curriculum in educational or workplace contexts.     

Positive emotions: passionate scholarship and student transformation

This paper challenges the practical and conceptual understanding of the role of emotions in higher education from the twin perspectives of transition and transformation. Focusing on the neglected area of positive emotions, exploratory data reveal a rich, low-level milieu of undergraduate emotional awareness in students chiefly attributed to pedagogic actions, primarily extrinsically orientated, and pervasive throughout the learning experience. The data conceive positive affect as oppositional, principally ephemeral and linked to performative pedagogic endeavours of getting, knowing and doing. A cyclical social dynamic of reciprocity, generating positive feedback loops, is highlighted. Finally we inductively construct a tentative ‘emotion-transition framework’ to assist our understanding of positive emotion as a force for transformational change; our contention is that higher education might proactively craft pedagogic spaces so as to unite the feeling discourse, the thinking discourse (epistemological self) and the wider life-self (ontological) discourse.     

Academic and Student Affairs Issues Post Hurricane Katrina

This article describes several issues in the academic and student affairs areas faced by students and faculty in the post-Katrina destruction environment. Cases are used to illustrate the issues, and a call is made for increased disaster readiness plans.     

Peer Relationships Across the Preschool to School Transition

Research Findings: The aim of this longitudinal study was to explore peer relationships across the transition from preschool to school. Participants were 35 (17 male) children attending the Irish preschool initiative Early Start (M age = 49.31 months). Sociometric measures were employed on two occasions: at the end of preschool and in the first year of school. Results indicated that most preschoolers (83%) had at least one mutual friend, and by school age all children had at least one mutual friend. Almost one third (29%) of preschools and school-age children had a mutual best friend. Notably, all children made new friends in school. In addition, a number of friendships (18%) survived the preschool to school transition. Correlational analysis also suggested some stability in peer relationships from preschool into the first year of school. Exploratory multiple regression analyses showed that preschool peer variables predicted friendship status and social preference in school. Furthermore, best friendship in preschool uniquely predicted friendship in school, and best friend status in school was uniquely associated with social preference in school. Practice: Results have implications for parents' and early educators' promotion of children's friendships during the transition from preschool to school.     

The Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation: A Quarter Century of Contribution,A Future of Challenge and Optimism

The Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation (JEPC) is beginning its second quarter century of publication. Given the challenges education faced in 1990, when the journal began publishing, and the evolving challenges of 2015, it became important to answer two questions: (1) Has JEPC successfully contributed to the facilitation of service delivery leading to improved outcomes? (2) What major challenges should JEPC consider—in an era of diminishing school budgets, professional autonomy, and social safety nets—to ensure that it can help to meet the needs of struggling learners, their fellow students, and the people and organizations who work on their behalf? To help answer these questions, this article discusses JEPC's contributions to consultation, current and future challenges, and possible directions for meeting the current and future needs of struggling learners, their peers, and all other stakeholders to which JEPC has dedicated itself.