The Difference a Year Makes: An Exploratory Self-Directed IEP Case Study

The Self-Directed IEP has been found effective in increasing student participation in the first Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting following Self-Directed IEP instruction. To date, no published reports have examined the extent students are involved during their second IEP meeting following Self-Directed IEP instruction. This study presents an exploratory mixed method case study analysis of a student with a learning disability in sophomore and junior year IEP meetings to illustrate the difference a year can make in IEP meeting participation, the development of postschool goals, confidence, maturity, and self-advocacy. Results indicate a marked increase from year one to year two in the student's word count and speaking rate, a more focused postschool employment vision, and an increase in meeting leadership. Discussion of these results and suggestions for additional research are offered.     

Cold comfort in the primary school

This paper contributes to the debate about conceptualising policy research by considering Howell's (1990) call that researchers reveal the ‘principle of choice’ which guides the selection of topics, strategies and resources in research. Specifically, it addresses the question of what information must be made available to other researchers so that there can be productive continuing conversations’ (Ball 1994:174) about policy research and its conceptualisation. An examination of the policy sociology literature indicates that the specification of the ‘principle of choice’ requires discussion of the intellectual resources deployed in the research and a consideration of the processes of intellectual work which render these resources meaningful. This specification is then applied in relation to my current research, the ‘Social Organisation of Education Practice’ (soep) project to investigate the changing relationship between education and training in Australia. The products and processes of intellectual work that have constituted the principle of choice in my own research are outlined and justified. The way this principle of choice has shaped the conceptualisation of the soep project is discussed and attention drawn to the practical limits of explicit conceptualisation and justification in research. The paper concludes by affirming the importance of making the principle of choice explicit but queries how this can be done in shorthand.     

To ‘Blaise the Trail for Women to Follow Along: Sex,gender and the politics of education on the London School Board, 18701904

Drawing on the autobiographical writings of Florence Fenwick Miller in regard to the development of mass education, the article explores the part women played as education-makers in the period 18701904. The articles focuses on the 29 women elected to serve on the School Board for London, examining contributions from Miller in order to consider the links between gender and the politics of education. Moving on, the article discusses the varied influence and policy priorities of women members through the use of three case studies: the schoolgirls’ curriculum, the interests of women teachers and school attendance. Analysis of these activist women reveals the tension between more radical independent women who wanted to change the business of politics and those who gave high priority to their role as party representatives.