This book explores a range of educational issues in the Pacific Islands, from school leadership in various contexts to the importance of forging cordial school and community partnerships. By presenting perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders, including community leaders, teachers, parents and students, it adds to the ongoing dialogue on educational issues in the Pacific Islands. Moreover, it promotes the forging of healthy school ecosystems that value equality, diversity, community engagement, fruitful citizenship, proactive school leadership, and valuable student learning, to drive an educated Pacific Islands population into the future.

This book provides detailed insights on the training and development for Pacific Island school leaders. It draws extensively on original empirical research that explores school leaders’ perceptions of how leadership and management training impacted their professional practices, and how these practices in turn impacted the dynamics of school operations. This book addresses a critical need to understand how to support leadership development for all Pacific schools, but especially in schools that are faced with the increasing challenges of learning and teaching conditions. In small island developing states in the Pacific region, school leaders face a myriad of challenges due to limited human and material resources, and a fragile economic base. Written by Pacific Islander authors, this book provides insights from different countries in the Pacific Islands. It shows how contextual challenges can exert enormous pressure on school leaders who are leading and managing schools without any leadership preparation. Given the importance of effective leadership practices and its impact on student learning outcomes, this book aims to be a source of reference for practitioners and educational authorities who have a vested interest in the provision of quality education in the Pacific region and beyond.

The Asia-Pacific region has rich and unique traditions, cultural diversity and common as well as unique challenges, including obstacles of language and geographical separation. As home to over 60 per cent of the world's population, this region has a diverse range of educational issues, which have not as yet been fully explored. This ground-breaking volume considers current perspectives on educational diversity, challenges and changes occurring across a number of countries in the region and provides a closer look at these complexities. Focus has been given to the influence and impact that these complexities are having on policy and practice in leadership, governance and administration structures. Who has been given the agency? What kinds of power currents are in play? What are the hidden political enablers and disablers in these narratives? The authors of chapters in this series have presented some solid examples of what is currently happening, the discourse that is emerging around it, the effects of these changes and their impact within the region. While some of these narratives are a synthesis of literature and policy, other chapters have focused on findings from empirical studies being conducted in this space. As a timely collection of works from active researchers in Education, the book supports and encourages the importance of on-going educational research within the Asia-Pacific region The findings in this book have been drawn from original and current research which is anticipated as being a valuable academic reference as well as a teaching resource in the field of Education. This volume will be beneficial to students and academics of Education around the world as well as a useful reference to educational academics, researchers, policy-makers and administrators across the Asia-Pacific region.The Asia-Pacific region has rich and unique traditions, cultural diversity and common as well as unique challenges, including obstacles of language and geographical separation. As home to over 60 per cent of the world's population, this region has a diverse range of educational issues, which have not as yet been fully explored. This ground-breaking volume considers current perspectives on educational diversity, challenges and changes occurring across a number of countries in the region and provides a closer look at these complexities. Focus has been given to the influence and impact that these complexities are having on policy and practice in leadership, governance and administration structures. Who has been given the agency? What kinds of power currents are in play? What are the hidden political enablers and disablers in these narratives? The authors of chapters in this series have presented some solid examples of what is currently happening, the discourse that is emerging around it, the effects of these changes and their impact within the region. While some of these narratives are a synthesis of literature and policy, other chapters have focused on findings from empirical studies being conducted in this space. As a timely collection of works from active researchers in Education, the book supports and encourages the importance of on-going educational research within the Asia-Pacific region The findings in this book have been drawn from original and current research which is anticipated as being a valuable academic reference as well as a teaching resource in the field of Education. This volume will be beneficial to students and academics of Education around the world as well as a useful reference to educational academics, researchers, policy-makers and administrators across the Asia-Pacific region.

Victor Levine asks a fundamental question of increasing importance to a globalizing region: How can Pacific Island states provide decent public education to their children? Based on broad international experience, he examines the evidence regarding what does and does not work in public education. While the literature suggests numerous instances of declining quality in Pacific public-education systems, Levine finds some basis for optimism about what is possible. The underlying causes for generally declining standards do not point to a single factor. And additional funding is not necessarily the answer. Island countries generally spend considerably more per pupil on education and attain markedly poorer results, compared to countries in other regions with similar economic conditions. Outside support in terms of grants and personnel has not necessarily brought about the desired results. Rather than proposing a silver bullet or "grand remedy," Levine suggests several more-modest options that policymakers may want to consider for initiating educational reforms. He maintains that the teacher is the single most important factor affecting student outcomes. In the past, many of the grand remedies have not worked because they are remote from the basic problem of ineffective classroom teaching. Based on this assessment, Levine argues for teacher-centered policies, which provide material and nonmaterial incentives to the teaching profession. He urges moving to a system where demonstrating the ability to produce learning gains in children (value added) would be a precondition for continued employment as a teacher. Finally, Levine argues that new teachers probably do not need a formal teaching qualification to do the job that is so crucial for a better future for Pacific Island children.

Realising Innovative Partnerships in Educational Research examines the underlying principles and actions that support the development of and engagement in partnerships in educational research. With social justice at its core, the work in this book represents various architectures of innovation, whereby new ways of thinking about partnership research are proposed and practices of teaching and learning are reconciled (or not) with existing education contexts and practices. With contributions from educational researchers and practitioners from New Zealand, and international commentaries provided by established scholars in the field, the book draws together key experiences and insights from students, teachers, community members and researchers in tertiary, community, school, and early childhood settings. The research in this book seeks to address a gap in our understanding, extending knowledge beyond simply the benefits of partnership work, to examine how successful partnerships can be initiated, enacted, and sustained over time. This book invites reflection on the following provocations: Why engage in partnerships for educational research? How has this happened in the past and what needs to happen for the future? What is unique about the New Zealand context and what might researchers in other countries learn from our collaborative and culturally responsive research methodologies? What could be some of the underlying principles that support the development of and engagement in collaborative research? How do we evaluate the effectiveness of research partnerships in education to shift the focus to the future?

Using the culturally responsive family support model, this text prepares teachers to work effectively with the diverse families of their studentsFilled with practical suggestions and reflective opportunities, Home, School, and Community Collaboration uses the culturally responsive family support model to prepare readers to work with children from diverse families. This text includes contributions from 24 experts in the field in addressing the issues in family involvement that todayÆs teachers are likely to encounter. Key Features:Covers family systems theory, family involvement models, and the family support approach Includes a wide range of practical strategies for use in todayÆs schools, as well as activities that help readers make connections between the course content and their own experiencesFeatures case studies and vignettes that provide opportunities for reflection and help readers apply text information to real-life settings Accompanied by Outstanding Ancillaries:Instructor Resources onáCD offer valuable resources for qualified adopters, such as sample syllabi, teaching tips, PowerPoint presentations, and a comprehensive test bank. Contact Customer Care at 1-800-818-SAGE from 6 AM-5 PM, PT, to request a copy.áááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá A Student study site offers practice tests, flashcards, web resources, and SAGE journal articles on topics covered in the text.

The curiosity-stirring, can-do handbook for building inclusive cultures With one click we can make our camera lens switch from portrait to landscape, so why can’t we find a simple way to broaden our perspectives on equity? Because human beings are wildly complex, for one thing. But this potent guide simplifies, providing concrete techniques for becoming expansive educators capable of engaging every student. Chapter assets include: Compelling research to support why it’s urgent we embrace foundational fairness—and why even subtle words can have massive effects on students’ sense of potential Questions and prompts that help you build inclusive thinking into your expectations of students, your feedback, grading, and approaches to discipline Activities, discussion frames, and debate structures that support students’ exploration of complex topics Ideas for engaging staff, leadership, family, and the community in ways that reveal strength Social justice work is not "other;" it’s not extra. It’s student agency work. It’s what keeps so many of us educators up at night, worried about why some of our learners aren’t engaged. With this book, they will be engaged, because they will know you believe in their abilities, and now know how to show that every day.