Schooling markets prioritize the needs of valued "customers". In Australia, this has resulted in a proliferation of learning interventions aimed at attracting and holding students perceived to fall into this category, and managing those who don't. In this paper, I attempt two main tasks: a description of the large-scale processes…

The author first recognised the transformational power of education when he arrived at university. His career has included over 10 years as a mainstream principal, 7 as executive director of an agency that included being principal of a Special Assistance School, and a 5 year period in between in a leadership role in a community welfare…

Midway High School is a school that would like to be able to claim itself "a restorative school", though its journey is just beginning. It is a mid-decile, urban, co-educational New Zealand secondary school of approximately 970 students. The school draws a wide range of students with approximately 40 per cent NZ European, 27 per cent Pasifika, 26…

New Zealand is going through a major educational shift. It has just brought in a new curriculum that focuses on students, rather than content, as the centre of learning. New Zealand has an increasingly multi-cultural and diverse population and this is reflected in some of the complexities confronting education. Suspensions and exclusions of young…

Clearly, low performing, and especially failing schools, are a high priority concern for policy makers. And it is evident that fundamental systemic changes are necessary. The authors contend that it is essential that policy makers move to a three-component framework for turning around, transforming, and continuously improving schools. The third…

This paper explores some key findings from the recent two-year evaluation of a national pilot to introduce Restorative Practices (RP) in Scottish schools. A Restorative approach emphasises the human wish to feel safe, to belong, to be respected and to understand and have positive relationships with others. It recognises the fundamental importance…

Suspension increases the likelihood of a student being expelled, dropping out, and being incarcerated, a phenomenon dubbed the "school to prison pipeline". One less punitive model of discipline that is gaining popularity worldwide is "restorative justice". Though restorative justice is now being used in the US to address racial disproportionality…

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…

The social inclusion of vulnerable children is high on the political agenda in Britain. With policy issues concerning children in care or so-called "looked after children" (LAC) at such a pivotal point, now is the time to ensure that the educational needs of these particularly vulnerable children and young people take centre stage. It would appear…

Educators in the Northern Plains have long discussed dropout rates among American Native youth. Human potential is lost in allowing any one American Native student to drop out of school. The problems among this group of adolescents are apparent, yet nebulous. This document investigates the complexities of achieving school success among American…

South Africa's public education system is going through massive transformation, moving away from limited educational opportunities based on race and poverty levels to social and educational inclusiveness. While there is still work to be done, the country's education officials are committed to increasing access to a quality education for all…

Students with English as a Second Language (ESL) face two critical challenges: they need to develop English literacy while, at the same time, acquire content knowledge across subject areas. These students need a targeted ESL curriculum from elementary to high school that will allow an extended learning time and opportunities to practice as they…

The Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program has become a valuable resource in the implementation of the Puerto Rico Department of Education's educational reform process. To support the process, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico granted computerized equipment, reading and mathematics software and training designed for schools. This included reading…

This article argues that despite such large-scale international programmes as Education for All, backed by UNESCO and the World Bank among others, enrolment and retention rates in Africa will continue to decline as pupils, parents and employers realise that formal schooling does not deliver what it has promised. Although much attention has been…

Before the second world war, pupils in Czechoslovakia were expected to conform to discipline and to accept the teacher's style of teaching. Selection was accepted, with the highest attaining pupils siphoned off at age 11 to academic schools. After 1945, the countries of the Soviet bloc adopted the Soviet system of single-stream comprehensive…