This article reports a case study that investigated the ways in which heads of subject departments managed the development and application of new assessment strategies in one secondary school in Hong Kong. The data of the study were gathered through participant observation and interviews with 12 teachers who participated in an assessment for…

"Moving Your Numbers", a technical assistance and dissemination initiative begun in 2010 by the National Center on Educational Outcomes, described the work of 10 school districts that were using assessment and accountability to increase performance for students with disabilities as part of their overall district reform and improvement…

The requirement that individualized education program (IEP) teams make decisions about the participation of students with disabilities in general or alternate state- and district-wide assessments is nearly two decades old. The decisions that must be made have become more complicated with the addition, in some states, of alternate assessments based…

The current de-democratization process in which the world now apparently finds itself ". . .represents the longest continuous period of deterioration in the nearly 40-year history of Freedom House's annual assessment of the state of political and civil liberties in every country of the world". As Gilley (2010: 161) observes, ". . .the hottest…

Much of the research on social justice and equity in special education has centered on examining the persistent problem of disproportionate representation in special education and the implications of this problem for the educational experiences of learners from diverse backgrounds, particularly African Americans. Yet, outside this ongoing dialogue…

Highly politicized educational reforms in New York City have seen special education become marginalized as a casualty of the accountability movement. There is a liminal space between "old" and "new" ways where special education administrators find themselves as they consider their roles and responsibilities in continuing to press for opportunities…

This article provides background and commentary on the articles in this issue of "Journal of Special Education Leadership." Each of the articles describes the agonizing choices and constant struggles in the evolving educational landscape. Two themes emerged: (1) the conflicting intersection of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act…

The author of this article provides commentary on four articles published in this issue: (1) "Leadership for Rich Learning in High-Poverty Schools" (Oyler and Fuentes); (2) "Suspended in Liminal Space: Special Education Administrators and the Decade of Educational Reform within the NYC School System" (Connor); (3) "Defining Leadership in Charter…

We interviewed eight principals from Bermuda and Florida about how they identify and manage their most pressing challenges. Their challenges are composed of both adaptive and technical work, requiring leaders to learn to diagnose and manage them. Challenges focused on change and were traced to accountability contexts, yet accountability was not…

Regardless of what one thinks of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the current national education legislation has demonstrated the power and potential of learning standards linked with systems of accountability to influence classroom experiences. Unfortunately, the changes promoted by the legislation have tied the professional hands and suppressed the…

This article examines "caring" in the context of radical education reform in one Canadian province and school district. Historical provincial policy documents set the context for the district analysis. Drawing on our experiences both as participants and researchers, we use theories of care, critical policy, and the tools of critical discourse…

Meeting the academic needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students requires new perspectives on behalf of school leaders. Using the concept of the border epistemology of school leadership, this case study reveals the work of one "borderlander" in a dual-language school. Telling her story through self-reflection, the voices of her…

Despite the national emphasis on assessment and accountability for student learning, it is unclear whether day treatment and residential schools are participating in current reform efforts. On average, responding principals reported that 87% of students participated in state assessments. Although 80% of schools use local education agency or state…

School accountability reports reveal that wide achievement gaps exist among different subgroups of students in PK-12 schools. Research findings reveal that general and special education teachers improve their classroom practices when working in professional learning communities (PLCs). In addition, research shows that special education teachers…

According to Daresh, collaboration between veteran and new or aspiring leaders can promote an environment that is conducive to high levels of student achievement. This study sought to understand the mentoring relationship between veteran school leaders and aspiring leaders within a district that is in Year 2 of a School Leadership Program grant.…