In this article, the authors discuss two interventions deployed to remediate low performing students. The first is grade level retention in which a student is required to repeat a given grade due to lack of academic or social progress. The second is academic redshirting in which a parent voluntarily delays the entrance of her child into…

Academic redshirting is the act of keeping a child out of school for an additional year before kindergarten. This practice has become prevalent in America as kindergarten standards become more rigorous. There are few examples in the literature of research that explores the differences between children who have been academically redshirted and…

A profile of one state's principal preparation programs is presented in this article. The collaborative inquiry process used to develop a program narrative instrument and to capture data on characteristics of all 17 state-approved programs in the state of Indiana is provided. The statewide preparation program characteristics profiled in this…

There has been a shift in the conceptualization of leadership and needed leadership skills in education within today's society. Models that were previously used to aid in the development and understanding of leadership roles may not be appropriate given the current climate within education. However, new concepts based largely on research are…

The purpose of this study was to explore, understand, and analyze principals' perceptions of their role as the instructional leader with special education teachers. Both surveys and follow-up telephone interviews were utilized for data collection. Findings indicate that principals holding a state special education teaching certificate reported…

The world is marked by the twin processes of economic and cultural globalization in an era of information technology. The identities of all societies are evolving as social and political boundaries are shrinking day-by-day. As a result of significant economic and political changes, cross-cultural contact is at an all-time high in human history.…

The purpose of the study was to make a qualitative assessment of the impact of school consolidation on several rural Nebraska communities that have recently lost their schools. This research uses a multiple-case study design with interviews conducted in three Nebraska communities. The data from this research fell into four broad themes: social…

From 2006 to 2008, refugee resettlement agencies brought 4018 refugees to Chicago, Illinois. Using the example of the challenges faced by 14 refugee students from Burundi in adjusting to the U.S. school system, the authors call the attention of schools to the distinction between educating English Language Learners (ELL) and Educating Culturally…

NCLB seeks to level the playing field by narrowing class and racial gaps in school performance by establishing common expectations. No Child Left Behind Act (2001) increases the standards of accountability for states and schools, thus requiring educational leaders to rethink current school strategies. Holding individual schools accountable for the…

In this study, the extent to which Texas public school districts complied with the 65% instructional expenditure ratio mandate was related to student achievement on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Science, Math, Reading, Social Studies, and Writing tests for the 2007-2008 school year. Following the grouping of Texas public school…

According to Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007), the evaluation process plays a powerful role in developing and nurturing a teacher's instructional capacity, which, in turn, contributes to students' academic successes. School districts in South Carolina utilize the Assisting, Developing and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT) system. A component…

We analyzed the extent to which differences were present between White students and Hispanic students in their passing rates in reading and in math over a 16-year time period across all Texas elementary schools (ns greater than 1,000 schools). As anticipated, White students had statistically significantly higher passing rates in both reading and…

The purpose of this study was to survey and examine the selection criteria used by school districts administrators to select cooperating teachers to work with student teachers in Central New Jersey. Furthermore, the study sought out the perceptions of school district administrators with regards to the selection process and training of cooperating…

In this manuscript, we examined the literature regarding current disciplinary practices in American schools. Specifically, we discuss in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and disciplinary alternative education programs. Moreover, the issue of zero tolerance policies and their relationship with increased use of disciplinary practices is…

This study examined self-perceived transformational leadership behaviors among Texas superintendents. The purpose of this study was to examine if relationships existed between superintendents' self-perceived transformational leadership style, district size, teaching, principal, and superintendent years of experience. A review of the literature…