This article discusses the professional development needs of educational leaders in Kosovo, a region in Yugoslavia that has undergone dramatic changes following conflicts in the late 1990s. This article describes the changing sociopolitical context of the region and examines the need for professional development programs for school administrators…

State and national accountability initiatives are forcing educational administrators to seek curricular interventions that will yield the greatest improvement in students' academic performance in the least amount of time. Though volumes of documentation regarding the value of the arts in education line the shelves of professional libraries and…

The theoretical framework for using alternative assessment in the classroom includes considering learners as constructors of knowledge; finding authenticity in materials and activities; employing dynamic, ongoing evaluation tools; and empowering students. By putting these ideas into practice, individual attributes of initiative, choice, vision,…

The results of a survey on teachers' perceptions regarding Florida's test-based accountability program raised serious doubts about whether testing has precipitated positive outcomes in upper-elementary students' learning. Nearly all of the 708 Florida upper-elementary teachers who completed the survey reported that testing had a negative effect or…

The disproportionate representation of students of color in special education programs has been an issue in the field for decades. However, the literature on the topic tends to ignore the perceptions held by the families of these children. This paper shares the results of a qualitative study which explored the perceptions of one group of…

This paper reports on an empirical study of how structure, culture, and message content affected communications between principals and teachers in one Swedish school. The study revealed that communication within this school merely transmitted the information necessary for conducting daily work, which resulted in predictable behaviors, rather than…

Meeting the requirement for highly qualified teachers as outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act has left school districts in a quandary, especially those that serve a population of students deemed "at-risk" and where attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers is difficult. One professional development program based on recognized…

There is increasing concern about cheating in the secondary schools. This article describes the prevalence of dishonesty in testing, motivation for student cheating, new forms of deception using technology tools, initiatives to protect security of tests, methods students use to obtain papers without crediting the original source, tools for…

A topic that currently is receiving a great deal of attention by educators is the nature and use of WebQuests--computer-based activities that guide student learning through use of the World Wide Web (Sharp 2004). Despite their popularity, questions remain about the effectiveness with which WebQuests are being used with students. This article…

Corporations have used and continue to use schools as conduits to establish consumption as the ultimate expression of participatory democracy and, thus, as the supreme good and standard of personal growth. By nurturing this narrow moral ideal as the "summum bonum" (the highest good) of public and private life, our corporate-infused schools work to…

Few professors of education in the 21st century know the name Isaac Leon Kandel. A Kappa Delta Pi Laureate and author of more than 20 books, Kandel may be known to scholars who specialize in comparative education or educational history; however, Kandel is known to very few beyond these two fields. This article is a testament to Kandel, his…

In Tanzania, the integral role that teachers play in providing a quality education for students has been recognized consistently in government documents (e.g., Ministry of Education and Culture [MOEC] 1995; 2001). However, concerns about the quality of teachers and teaching in Tanzania persist) Massawe and Kipingu 2000; Kuleana Center for…

As the first National Board Certificate Teachers (NBCTs) reached the end of their initial ten-year certification, members of this group were surveyed to ascertain the impact National Board Certification has had on their careers and on their students' learning, as well as their intentions toward renewal. Respondents overwhelmingly reported that…

The critical incident that drove this article involved a single mother who was on probation for drug offenses. Her two daughters were sent home from their Title I urban elementary school on a frequent basis because of head lice. This situation prompted several questions: Can we and should we be able to legislate and enforce cleanliness? Is…

Faculty members pursue external grants to support educational initiatives, but must do so mindfully because grants inadvertently can undermine core instructional activities. To reach full leadership potential, faculty members should act as "street-level democrats," focused on the needs of students, teachers, and the communities served. This…