This article examines corporal punishment in U.S. public schools, proposes a national conversation regarding its use, and advocates for a national policy to promote nonviolent discipline methods and prohibit corporal punishment of children in educational settings. The United States remains one of the few postmodern societies without a national…

We provide a historical perspective toward the current public school practices of American sex education. The primary time frames include the progressive era (1880-1920), intermediate era (1920-1960), the sexual revolution era (1960s and 1970s), and the modern sex education era (1980s to the present). In each period, we highlight key developments…

When Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans on August 29, 2005, the failure of the levees resulted in the largest single human-made disaster in the United States. In addition to the physical devastation of the city, the landscape of public schools in New Orleans was permanently altered, as was the national dialogue about school reform in the…

Over two decades, national assessments in Ghana have revealed generally poor performances across curriculum-based tests for primary school (Grades 1-6). Various reform agendas have been applied to the education system, sometimes with isolated success, but the overall performances remained stable and low. Surveying teacher mentors in schools…

This article explores the place of religion within Australian primary and secondary education. It is divided into three parts. The first examines religion within the Australian legal and constitutional structure. The second considers the accommodation of religion in government (public or state) and nongovernment (private) schools, using the State…

Central to the debate over school choice has been the question of how public schools respond to market-based competition. Many choice advocates suggest that competition can spur public schools to become more effective and efficient, but the evidence regarding the effect of competition from charters is comparably sparse and mixed. This article…

In the West, sex education has always been a taboo subject that continues to challenge the public schools. Drawing on recent developments in some Canadian provinces, I argue that we cannot begin to address the issue of responsible sex education until we first acknowledge that students themselves have a moral and constitutional right to this kind…

This study aimed to obtain perceptions of teachers employed in state and private schools in Eskisehir, Turkey, about the language use of principals toward teachers as a means of motivation and control. The data for the study were collected from 170 teachers working in 13 schools. To analyze the data, frequency and percentage analysis techniques…

Historically, the Supreme Court responds to the majority of cases brought before it with a decision or commentary that directs one or both of the parties on what to do--whether reparations by judgment, delivery of specific property, incarceration, or cessation of doing something. In May 1954, when the school segregation cases of "Brown" were…

State exit exams, also known as graduation tests, are tests that student must pass to graduate from high school. These tests are more influential than ever. Accordingly, in 2004, 20 states required students to pass an exit exam to graduate from high school, and six additional states will implement an exit exam by 2009. This affects more than half…

Today, school reform efforts that called for the expansion of school choice options for American families and their children are based upon the theory that the ability to select among educational alternatives was connected to rights and privileges guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. As a part of a national movement toward increased school…

This article examines American and Australian school principals' fundamental values regarding the purpose of schools. It also illustrates their views on school reform and the role of the principal in reform, and compares their visions of the purpose of schools--the ideal schools in the 21st century. Data reveal that the majority of American and…

On June 27, 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in "Zelman v. Simmons-Harris" was promulgated by the justices. The case involved the constitutionality of Ohio's Pilot Project Scholarship Program, which provides tuition aid for certain students in the Cleveland City School District to attend participating public or private (religious and…

Discusses decentralization and parental choice as the two central elements of the current wave of reform. Argues that the introduction of competition to schooling affects schools' need to increase their attractiveness and does not necessarily correspond with pedagogical considerations. Discusses some possible consequences of quasi-market…

A school improvement project in Turkey included 208 schools as Curriculum Laboratory Schools (CLSs). To evaluate the effectiveness of these schools, data were collected from 13 principals, 22 assistant principals, and 306 teachers from 7 primary and 4 high schools in 1 province. Findings indicated that the project provided some technical…