Pupils as partners in education decision‐making: responding to the legislation in England and Ireland

Enabling pupils with special educational needs to participate more fully in the assessment, planning and evaluation of their own learning has become a principle enshrined within the legislation of many countries in recent years. Educational policy in both England and the Republic of Ireland has recognised the desirability of increased pupil involvement, and this is reflected in policy documents and in legislation which highlights the requirement of schools to take greater account of the views of pupils. This paper documents the approaches to increased pupil involvement in decision‐making adopted in England and Ireland and provides an overview of the key challenges that face policy‐makers and educators in ensuring meaningful participation for children and young people with special educational needs.     

Editorial

This study was conducted to increase our understanding of learners' perceptions about how the first "class" in an online course should be and to further understand how learners' experiences in the first class contribute to their sense of well-being and engagement in online courses. The study revealed that learners' sense of engagement with courses is more dependent on their connection with the learning materials than with instructors or colleagues, that learners are most comfortable with a generous amount of time to prepare in advance for courses, and that the role of instructors at the beginning of courses is very much a functional one. Instructors are judged on the clarity and completeness with which their course details are presented.     

Modeling Group Differences in OLS and Orthogonal Regression: Implications for Differential Validity Studies

In evaluating the relationship between two measures across different groups (i.e., in evaluating “differential validity”) it is necessary to examine differences in correlation coefficients and in regression lines. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression is the standard method for fitting lines to data, but its criterion for optimal fit (minimizing the squared vertical distances between the points and the line) is less natural in many contexts than the criterion used in orthogonal regression (minimizing the squared Euclidean distances of points from the line). OLS regression is appropriate if the goal is to predict some unknown dependent variable from a known independent variable, but in examining the relationship between two variables, which both contain error, OLS regression introduces bias. This bias, associated with regression toward the mean, can suggest that the test scores have different relationships, and therefore different meanings, in two groups, when the two sets of test scores have the same relationship and the same meanings in the two groups. The impact of regression toward the mean in differential validity studies is illustrated with two synthetic and two real data sets. Each of the two real data sets include two measures of competence in applying legal principles to fact situations (an essay test and a multiple-choice test) for candidates in two groups (Black/White in the first example and women/men in the second example).     

The Learning Consortium: A School‐University Partnership Program. An Introduction

ABSTRACT

Induction experiences of beginning teachers in schools that were classified as more effective or less effective on the basis of student achievement are compared. Classroom observations, interviews, and a “Beginning Teacher Questionnaire” were used to obtain information from teachers in the two groups. Three areas of socialization were examined: assistance, monitoring, and team‐building. Results indicate that historically more effective schools were more supportive of their beginning teachers. In addition, outcome data regarding teacher performance provides evidence of more effective teaching among teachers in more supportive schools, even though initial teacher effectiveness, levels of experience, and educational attainment were not different for the two groups.     

System Level Support for School Effectiveness: A Practitioner Perspective on Work in Progress

The Catholic Education Office of the Diocese of Parramatta administers a system of some 73 Catholic schools, approximately two thirds of which are primary schools. This paper focusses on a series of interrelated initiatives in the system which are aimed at enhancing school effectiveness ‐‐ namely systematic approaches to school development, positive and supportive procedures for principal appraisal, structures to support the professional development of principals and teachers, and emergent practice in the supervision of teachers. These five activites are seen as mutually interdependent in the diocese, with each helping to shape the agenda of the others, while at the same time providing resources which assist in addressing that agenda.

The case study documents the development of the procedures for school development and appraisal by a group which was explicitly charged with the task of exploring the relationship between these two activities at both school and system levels. This led to the development of procedures and support mechanisms which are seen as distinct yet complementary. Principal appraisal contains a strong element of ongoing self appraisal based on performance, while school development procedures have a strong community dimension with the principal in a key role. An outline of these procedures is presented.

Subsequent to the work on school development and appraisal, the Catholic Education Office reviewed its support for professional development. This led to greater clarity about the contribution of various elements of the annual system level professional development program to school development initiatives. A major review of principal professional development was undertaken. The significant elements of the review and the major recommendations to flow from it are discussed.

All the initiatives discussed in this paper are in their early stages, with new procedures for school development and appraisal having been implemented on a working basis for the first time in 1993, and the frameworks for principal professional development being put in place for implementation during 1994.     

Can Schools Change? I. Outcomes at Six London Secondary Schools

Abstract

Much work on school effectiveness has been based on cross‐sectional comparisons between schools. Longitudinal studies of schools over time may complement this approach. Changes in both school practice and pupil outcomes were monitored in a five year study of change in six London secondary schools. This paper reports on changes in outcomes, illustrating marked improvements in some areas. A companion paper (Ouston, Maughan & Rutter, in press) explores associated changes in school practice.     

Development and Large-Scale Validation of an Instrument to Assess Arabic-Speaking Students' Attitudes Toward Science

This study is part of a large-scale project focused on ‘Qatari students' Interest in, and Attitudes toward, Science’ (QIAS). QIAS aimed to gauge Qatari student attitudes toward science in grades 3–12, examine factors that impact these attitudes, and assess the relationship between student attitudes and prevailing modes of science teaching in Qatari schools. This report details the development and validation of the ‘Arabic-Speaking Students' Attitudes toward Science Survey’ (ASSASS), which was specifically developed for the purposes of the QIAS project. The theories of reasoned action and planned behavior (TRAPB) [Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (2005). The influence of attitudes on behavior. In D. Albarracín, B. T. Johnson, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), The handbook of attitudes (pp. 173–221). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum] guided the instrument development. Development and validation of the ASSASS proceeded in 3 phases. First, a 10-member expert panel examined an initial pool of 74 items, which were revised and consolidated into a 60-item version of the instrument. This version was piloted with 369 Qatari students from the target schools and grade levels. Analyses of pilot data resulted in a refined version of the ASSASS, which was administered to a national probability sample of 3027 participants representing all students enrolled in grades 3–12 in the various types of schools in Qatar. Of the latter, 1978 students completed the Arabic version of the instrument. Analyses supported a robust, 5-factor model for the instrument, which is consistent with the TRAPB framework. The factors were: Attitudes toward science and school science, unfavorable outlook on science, control beliefs about ability in science, behavioral beliefs about the consequences of engaging with science, and intentions to pursue science.     

Joining Forces for Families: an embedded response to neighborhood poverty

The authors reflect on how they, as social work practitioners, support the school systems in supporting homeless youth and families. They emphasize the importance of relationships and trust in working with this vulnerable population. The reflexive vignettes highlight the challenges and success of developing community-based programming for homeless and highly mobile students.