Soon after it came to power in 2008, the Australian Government adopted six key targets relating to life expectancy, infant mortality, education and employment in its policy "Closing the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage". As it became apparent in 2011 that these targets were not being met, the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, in her annual report to…

Research indicates that enrolments in separate special educational settings for students with disruptive behaviour have increased in a number of educational jurisdictions internationally. Recent analysis of school enrolment data has identified a similar increase in the New South Wales (NSW) government school sector; however, questions have been…

For over two years the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) at Clemson University has been supporting the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) in NW Alaska with their efforts to reduce high school dropout in 23 remote Yup'ik Eskimo villages. The Rural Alaska Mentoring Project (RAMP) provides school-based E-mentoring services to 164…

Many journal articles provide success stories of initiatives or programs. However, few outline the lessons learned in the building of those programs that may be beneficial to any reader who is interested in duplicating a similar initiative. Thus, the purpose of this article is threefold. The first section will provide the reader with history of…

Benarty Primary School is situated in Lochore, Fife, Scotland. The school is proactive in developing self regulation; restorative and nurturing approaches. It aims to build resilience in all of its children, staff and families. Playground Pals have been established at Benarty Primary School since 2009 and as part of that programme, there have been…

This article explores the developing role of mediation as a conflict resolution process in schools. It gives an accepted definition and clarifies the purposes of mediation, outlining the range of contexts in and beyond schools in which mediation is already offered as a formal intervention. The typical process of mediation itself is described. The…

This article focuses upon recent initiatives aimed at improving the management of disaffected students in Wales. Historically, schools in Wales over the last hundred years have consistently had to manage larger numbers of disaffected students, especially truants and school absentees, than in other parts of the United Kingdom. In her annual report…

There is considerable interest in many sectors of society in trauma intervention. School yard bullying has been getting a lot of attention as of late. It is widely reported and analyzed repeatedly in the media. As a clinical psychologist and adjunct psychology professor for over 30 years, the author has had occasion to see bullying in many forms…

The suspension of any student is problematic for students from all groups. Suspension and expulsion as interventions are inadequate to change behavior unless they are paired with teaching replacement behaviors. However, African American/Black, American Indian and Hispanic students are suspended and expelled at rates that are disproportionate to…

Chance, a word used in various languages to refer to "possibility" or "opportunity", is the name that was intentionally chosen for a project which has been running for 11 years in Naples and is aimed at young people aged 15-17 who have dropped out of compulsory schooling. Despite being based on a school structure and located within traditional…

This article presents second year evaluation results from a unique collaboration between a global corporation and a community school system in the southeastern United States. The purpose of the program was to help-at-risk students graduate from high school and develop responsible citizenship while increasing corporate employee retention. This…

New Directions Alternative Education Center, Prince William County Public School's (PWCS) alternative high school, serves approximately 1000 students on a rolling-enrollment basis each year. The 2009-2010 school year marks the sixth year of operation for the center. The school program continues to develop and grow in exciting and "new directions".…

In this article, the author talks about a family-centered practice model for working with students with non-attendance problems. Family-centered practice positions the family at the center of attention or field of action. Its focus is on those transactions occurring between a person, family, and environment, which affect individuals, families and…

Hamline University, a medium sized college in St. Paul Minnesota, dedicated resources and time to New Orleans, Louisiana in its efforts to rebuild and reclaim the city. Days after Hurricane Katrina hit, Hamline sent students, faculty and staff to help with recovery efforts. The Education Club adopted Martin Luther King Science and Technology…

At-risk schools are defined by the Department of Education in the state of Selangor, Malaysia as schools with serious disciplinary problems and low academic achievement. In 2003, the Selangor Department of Education identified 22 schools in this category (Selangor State Department of Education, 2003). Some have shown remarkable improvements and…