Action researchers often generate large amounts of textual material in the form of notes and transcripts, failing to account for those thoughts that we and our research participants silently voice. As such, action research that attempts to engage practitioners in self reflexivity and textual analysis is a fertile site for a consideration of how…

Since at least the 1980s, motivated, in part, by findings from international comparisons of students' mathematics achievement, some American (U.S.) educators and policy makers have initiated educational reform that focuses on improving teaching practices and curriculum designs by advocating for the adoption of Asian educational models. The…

As part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, many states are using confidence intervals to determine a range of scores for evaluating a school system. More specifically, the states are employing confidence intervals to help minimize measurement error in determining a school system's performance. The methodology and techniques employed in…

Based on the writings and research of Mary Anne Raywid (1994) and Gary Wehlage (1989), this study sought to identify characteristics of effective alternative high schools in Iowa. This effectiveness was identified as both student retention and graduate completion. The following characteristics were not positively related to graduate completion…

Discriminant analysis was used to ascertain whether or not student achievement and expenditure per pupil allow one to distinguish between Ohio charter schools and their associate public schools. The sample consisted of 129 Ohio charter schools and 30 associate public schools. The difference in means between the two types of schools was significant…

Attracting and retaining highly qualified school leaders is becoming increasingly important in our nation. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that motivate or inhibit practicing teachers from seeking administrative positions. Using exploratory factor analysis, survey responses of 329 students enrolled in Master of School…

Growing awareness of the importance of teacher quality in mathematics and science has stimulated a variety of national reports and funded initiatives for the purpose of improving teaching and learning in K-12 schools. This study examined the work of awardees in one federally-funded program that included a focus on increasing the number, quality,…

The college retention rates for underrepresented minorities (URM) in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) are lower than other groups. One reason may be that the studies often do not view premature departure from a cultural perspective. This exploratory investigation focused on developing an instrument that employed a cultural…

"El Escalafon" is the process for appointing school directors and "el Doble Turno" is the double shift of morning and afternoon session in Mexican schools. These two concepts open the door to examine more general issues in the appointment of school directors and the structure of the school day. Director appointment and school time are rooted in…

This study used an open-ended structured interview to investigate seven parents' of students with disabilities perceptions of charter schools and why they chose this type of school to educate their child. Findings showed a general theme of parents believing that the traditional area public school did not meet their child's needs in terms of size,…

The moulding of the future of a nation depends on the teachers and the education they provide in schools. Research evidence from the US. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) confirms this to be the case. Quantitative analysis of data indicates that measures associated with pre-service teacher preparation are by far the strongest…

This article provides an overview of the recent immigrant phenomenon in Japan and explains the complexity of the social integration (SI) of Nikkei Brazilians. Through the research, factors that explain the degree of social integration (SI) of Nikkei Brazilians are identified. Basic data include triangulated results from a survey of 80 people and…

This article examines the dimensionality of teacher professionalization. Like other recognized professions, teaching deserves a systemic and integral development platform where recruited teachers undergo well-defined transitional stages that would help crystallize their sense of "professional identity" (Credentialing), "professional familiarity"…

This article relates the philosophical and conceptual study of educational institutions with educational policy. I argue that both the descriptive and prescriptive answer to "what a school is" should focus on the school that is important, which is the central case. This central case of a school should embody an ethos of openness towards the basic…

The intent of this qualitative study is to narrate (Brodkey, (1987a). "Education Quarterly," 18, 67-76; "Written communication," 4, 25-70; Qualitative communication research methods. (1987b). Lindlof, (1995). (pp. 172-174): London Sage Publications) the master teachers as aggregate sample subjects' pedagogical understanding and classroom…