This paper reports on an interpretive study in which 25 elementary principals were asked about their assessment knowledge, the use of large-scale assessments in their schools, and principals' perceptions on their roles with respect to large-scale assessments. Principals in this study suggested that the current context of large-scale assessment and…

Usually reviews of special education in Canada describe the special education programs, services, policies, and legislation that are provided by the provinces and territories. The reviews consistently ignore the special education programs, services, policies, and legislation that are provided by federal government of Canada. The federal government…

What qualities should admission criteria identify in applicants to teacher education programs in order to select those that should be admitted into the program from those applying? One approach to addressing this selection problem is to link the desired qualities of applicants to the desired qualities with which students in the program are to…

According to current research, mental health issues are the leading health problem for Canadian children. Surveys also indicate that fewer than 25% of children are receiving care (Waddell, McEwan, Shepherd, Offord, & Hua, 2005); thus, schools play a key role in assessment, access to services, and possible referral to appropriate outside support…

New literacies have challenged all players in the educational enterprise in many different ways. Youth are now engaged in literacies that extend well beyond the safe and respected traditional texts that their parents experienced in school. In this research we analyze parents' perceptions of the relative educational value of their children's…

In 1965, Memmi introduced the concept of a protectorate. "Whenever the colonizer states, in his language, that the colonized is a weakling, he suggests thereby that this deficiency requires protection. From this comes the concept of a protectorate" (pp. 147-8). While this concept is 45 years old, it is an apt metaphor for thinking about current…

This article documents the work of parent-driven research teams in two school boards in the Greater Toronto Area. Motivated by a desire to move beyond a school-centred/family-centred dichotomy, this parent-lead project explores a middle space for collective learning among multiple stakeholders in publicly-funded schooling. Drawing on participatory…

In 2008, People for Education, an Ontario-based parent-led organization, hosted eight policy dialogues with citizens about possibilities for the province's public schools. Policy dialogues are conversations about policy issues, ideas, processes, and outcomes where participants share their knowledge, perspectives, and experiences. In small groups…

In England, until May 2010, the New Labour party had been in power for thirteen years. This paper is a reflection back upon its period in office and its strident policies on parents and families. It questions its stance on parental "voice and choice," looks at issues of trust and contract, and considers the idea of "parent empowerment" in the…

This study explored how teachers and school administrators connect large-scale assessment results with school improvement planning. Using a semi-structured format, 20 teachers and 17 administrators were interviewed from two school districts in southern Ontario, Canada. The interview protocol contained a range of questions related to teaching and…

This study sought to investigate the congruence between Aboriginal student citizenship development and the prescribed outcomes of citizenship development in secondary schools in Manitoba. The perceptions of 106 high school teachers and principals in the province of Manitoba were acquired through survey distribution and interviews. This study found…

This article is based upon a 2006 review of the research methodologies identified in the articles of two educational leadership journals. It found the use of narrative and biographical approaches specific to the field of educational leadership appears rare. This article examines the stories told by Yukon school principals in Indigenous contexts to…

The academic performance of many international students admitted to Canadian universities is undermined by the students' English language proficiency. The goal of this study was to improve English language proficiency of post-secondary second-language learners (SLLs) through the use of literacy-based assistive technology. Fifty-four participants…

When Ontario eliminated its unique fifth year of secondary school for post-secondary bound students, policy makers, educators, and the general public anticipated that the province would finally adhere to the four-year model of secondary education common to the rest of English speaking North America. For a significant number of students, however,…

In this article, we use a recent Manitoba child custody case to provide a legal and ethical account of the notion of the best interests of the child. We explore the tension between the best interests of the child and parental rights to expression of a racist nature. We consider how the interests of different actors--the state, parents and…