More and more states require students to pass large-scale tests as a condition of promotion or graduation. What forces have pushed high-stakes testing to the forefront of educational policy? Are such tests the best way to gauge educational attainment? This book examines the economic and educational assumptions underlying the call for high-stakes tests.

This volume summarizes a range of scientific perspectives on the important goal of achieving high educational standards for all students. Based on a conference held at the request of the U.S. Department of Education, it addresses three questions: What progress has been made in advancing the education of minority and disadvantaged students since the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision nearly 50 years ago? What does research say about the reasons of successes and failures? What are some of the strategies and practices that hold the promise of producing continued improvements? The volume draws on the conclusions of a number of important recent NRC reports, including How People Learn, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, Eager to Learn, and From Neurons to Neighborhoods, among others. It includes an overview of the conference presentations and discussions, the perspectives of the two co-moderators, and a set of background papers on more detailed issues.

Children spend more time in school than in any social institution outside the home. And schools probably exert more influence on children’s development and life chances than any environment beyond the home and neighbourhood. The purpose of this book is to document some important ways schools influence children’s development and to describe various models and methods for studying schooling effects. Key features include: Comprehensive Coverage – this is the first book to provide a comprehensive review of what is known about schools as a context for human development. Topical coverage ranges from theoretical foundations to investigative methodologies and from classroom-level influences such as teacher-student relations to broader influences such as school organization and educational policies. Cross-Disciplinary – this volume brings together the divergent perspectives, methods and findings of scholars from a variety of disciplines, among them educational psychology, developmental psychology, school psychology, social psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and educational policy. Chapter Structure – to ensure continuity, chapter authors describe 1) how schooling influences are conceptualized 2) identify their theoretical and methodological approaches 3) discuss the strengths and weaknesses of existing research and 4) highlight implications for future research, practice, and policy. Methodologies – chapters included in the text feature various methodologies including longitudinal studies, hierarchical linear models, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, and mixed methods.

"This research publication accommodates in-depth studies that elucidate both the prospects and problems of learning assessment in higher education"--Provided by publisher.

Dewey's Democracy and Education Revisited focuses on democratic schools/democratic education and the work of teacher and leader practitioners in the new millennium, taking into consideration the complex and dynamic nature of preparing leaders for changing roles in schools amidst the challenges of standards and accountability, the No Child Left Behind Act, licensure/certification issues, increasing diversity, issues of social justice, shifting demographics, and the myriad of social issues that make democratic leadership necessary. The book presents a collection of contemporary discourses that reconsider the relationship of democracy as a political ideology and American ideal (i.e., Dewey's progressivist ideas) and education as the foundation of preparing democratic citizens in America. Jenlink takes the reader into a reflective and critical examination of Dewey's ideas on democratic education, set forth in the classic philosophy text, Democracy and Education. Each chapter draws the reader into a discussion of the salient and relevant points Dewey argued, and juxtaposes Dewey's points with the issues challenging educators today, in particular focusing on the challenge of fostering democratic education and leadership for America's schools.

In The Challenge of Rethinking History Education, Bruce A. VanSledright argues for a more inquiry-oriented approach to history teaching and learning that fosters a sense of citizenship through the critical skills of historical investigation.

Breaking Barriers to Learning in Primary Schools takes an expert and informative look at the integrated children’s services agenda in practice in today’s primary schools. Examining the ways in which an increasing number of different professionals help to improve children’s life chances, the author examines the roles of those employed directly by the schools themselves, for instance Learning Mentors, HLTAs and Teaching Assistants, and those employed by health/social and other agencies, such as school nurses, Educational social workers, study support workers, school attendance workers and Educational Psychologists. Through an exploration of how each individual helps break down barriers to children’s learning, this book: examines the growth and development of the children’s workforce provides a broad and integrated view of the wider school network explores the roles of individuals within the school workforce makes links to Every Child Matters and Extended Schools initiatives provides evidences of breaking down barriers, through interviews and studies with those working at the heart of integrated schools presents an analysis of recent statistics relating to children’s lives gives practical advice for good practice throughout. An essential text for all those working in education and in training to become part of this wider school network, this book takes into account the findings of the recent Primary Reviews, government data and original research to fully explain how to build, maintain and successfully work with today’s primary children. It is an excellent text for Foundation Degree students as well as those studying Education Studies and those training to be teachers.