This accessible book offers research-based insights into six key educational trends and issues that are impacting the K-12 learning today: year-round schooling, assessments, educating minorities, anti-intellectualism, issues of social promotion and retention, and school design.

In this age of education innovation and reform, schools must evolve and react to current policy trends. This accessible book offers research-based insights into six key educational trends and issues that are impacting K–12 learning today: year-round schooling, assessments, educating minorities, anti-intellectualism, issues of social promotion and retention, and school design. Each chapter unpacks research and policy issues relating to these topics and provides administrators with practical advice on how they should approach these issues to improve learning in their schools. The ideas and strategies in Understanding Key Education Issues will help educators across the country achieve greater efficiency, better results, and a higher purpose.

Understanding Contemporary Education offers an essential exploration of key concepts and issues in education that will allow education studies students, as well as trainee and practising teachers to engage in reflection, not only on work at the classroom level, but on education more broadly. Using detailed examples, the book problematises many popular and taken-for-granted views, allowing the reader to challenge and seriously consider the nature of the education enterprise. In each chapter, a concept is carefully considered, with major features, controversies, and strengths and weaknesses highlighted. Key follow-up questions challenge the reader to reflect on specific issues, and encourage involvement, not just in their own teaching, but in the planning and determination of the total programme of their school, and where possible, that of the nation. The book is divided into seven main parts: The Social Context of Education Education Policy Curriculum Teaching and Learning Leadership in Education Teacher Preparation International Developments in Education. Drawing upon a wide variety of theoretical positions, Understanding Contemporary Education provides an accessible introduction to key themes and concepts in education, challenging readers to fully consider the purpose of education and to reflect intelligently on issues that affect all schools. It is a must-read book for those on education studies courses, as well as trainee and practising teachers.

Considerable challenges can face all those involved in teaching children with special educational needs. Complex policy and legislation, bureaucracy, inspection and limited resources can all appear difficult obstacles to those seeking to provide effective tuition. In this highly practical book, Michael Farrell unpicks and clarifies the role of educational standards in today's schools. Drawing extensively on detailed, real-life case studies, he closely explores such issues as: the definition of standards, identifying and providing for special educational needs, assessment and benchmarking, curriculum provision and target-setting, the role of the Code of Practice. Special educational needs coordinators, senior managers in schools and students completing initial training courses will find this an invaluable resource, which effortlessly simplifies an often complicated process.

Understanding and engaging critically with the field of special educational needs and disability (SEND) is a difficult task. However, the new edition of this bestselling book continues to help students contextualize SEND in relation to historical, ideological and political developments as well as support them in developing a critical understanding of the complexities associated with inclusion. Completely up to date with recent legislation such as the SEND Code of Practice (2014) there are case studies, reflections and activities which will help students question practice they have seen and experienced. Covering the 0-25 age range this book is suitable for all those working with children and young people across education, health and social work.

This work looks at state involvement in education and education policy. It explains the role of education policy in the context of the general direction of government policy, politics and the economy.

This book focuses on educational experience as a lifelong and society-wide issue. The author draws on research, policy, and contemporary thinking in the field to provide a comprehensive guide to the educational inequalities that may exist and persist throughout an individual's educational course. Providing an international perspective on different ethnic, gender, and social groups, the book covers a broad range of issues, including:theoretical, policy, and research developments; inequalities that may exist during the years of schooling; government policy; and beyond the school classroom.