Frances C. Fowler

Education Reform Comes to Ohio: An Application of Mazzoni's Arena Models

Many have noted the difficulty of policy innovation, yet sometimes innovations do occur. Mazzoni (1991) hypothesized that when the policy process shifts from the legislative subsystem to the macro arena, innovation becomes possible. Applying his theory to the passage of open enrollment in Minnesota, he found that the policy process shifted to the leadership and commission arenas and revised his model. This study applied his models to Ohios 1989 passage of a law that included an open enrollment policy. In Ohio, the macro arena was relatively inactive, but a shift from the subsystem to the leadership arena occurred, partially validating Mazzonis revised model.

Introduction: The Great School Choice Debate

chool choice is easily the most controversial education policy issue of our time. Its supporterswho are mostly, but not entirely, political conservatives-usually advocate school choice as a way to use competition to encourage public schools to improve. Its opponents-who are mostly, but not entirely, political liberals-usually argue against it because they fear that it will increase segregation by race and social class while transforming the public school system into a dumping ground for the students who are the most difficult to educate. Because numerous school choice

Participation in Ohio's Inter district Open Enrollment Option: Exploring the Supply-Side of Choice

In 1993-1994, Ohio implemented an inter district open enrollment policy. Under it, students can transfer only to adjacent districts, taking about

Framing French Success in Elementary Mathematics: Policy, Curriculum, and Pedagogy

2,900 with them. Districts can decide to be open or closed but cannot prevent student transfers. In 1994, open-ended surveys were sent to the superintendents of open and closed districts, asking the reasons for their decision. Open districts tended to be small, rural, racially homogeneous districts that had been losing enrollment. Their major reason for accepting transfers was to increase enrollment. Closed districts tended to be suburban districts with above average per pupil expenditure. Their major reason for not receiving transfers was insufficient space.

School Choice Policy in France: Success and Limitations:

Abstract For many decades Americans have been concerned about the effective teaching of mathematics, and educational and political leaders have often advocated reforms such as a return to the basics and strict accountability systems as the way to improve mathematical achievement. International studies, however, suggest that such reforms may not be the best path to successful mathematics education. Through this qualitative case study, the authors explore in depth the French approach to teaching elementary mathematics, using interviews, classroom observations, and documents as their data sets. They apply three theoretical frameworks to their data and find that the French use large-group instruction and a visible pedagogy, focusing on the discussion of mathematical concepts rather than on the completion of practice exercises. The national curriculum is relatively nonprescriptive, and teachers are somewhat empowered through site-based management. The authors conclude that the keys to French success with mathematics education are ongoing formative assessment, mathematically competent teachers, policies and practices that help disadvantaged children, and the use of constructivist methods. They urge comparative education researchers to look beyond international test scores to deeper issues of policy and practice.

Testing, French Style

In 1959, France passed the Debré Act, inaugurating massive subsidies for private education. Under this law, the French government subcontracted secular instruction to those private schools that signed contracts. On the whole, the policy has been successful It is popular because it provides parents with school choice and has not increased social stratification. However, the policy led to some problems with financial and political accountability. The French experience suggests that carefully conceived regulations are the key to successful choice policies. It also suggests that choice policies may succeed best in environments in which major equity problems have already been solved.

Comment et pourquoi les Français réussissent en mathématiques : leur politique, leurs programmes et leur pédagogie

uch terms as national testing and high-stahes examinations have a contemporary ring to American ears. In the United States these are late-twentieth-century phenomena, linked with the school reforms of the 1980s and 1990s. Yet from an international perspective they are far from new. France, for example, has administered a high-stakes national test since 1806, when Napoleon established the baccalauriat examination, passage of which led to the diploma required for university admission. The venerable baccalaurdat-colloquially called the bac-has gone through many transformations since 1806, but it is very much alive today. Every June more than half a million French teens take it (French Minstry 1999b), and according to a 27 July 2000 article in the Paris daily Le Monde, 79.5 percent of those who took it in 2000 passed. I first encountered the bac-and the French approach to testing-when, as a young woman, I took a course in French in Paris. After enrolling I learned that the course was conceived as preparation for an examination based on the French section of the most recent bac. My classmates and I studied literary works from the reading list for the bac and, during a cold week in January, sat through several hours of tests, including a dictation, a composition, and essay questions. Those of us who passed the written portion took a short oral exam, which consisted of reading a literary passage out loud and answering questions about it. I walked away from this experience with a diploma in advanced modern French, stamped by the Ministry of Education, and a lifelong interest in the French approach to learning and testing. After sixteen years of research on French education, I know far more about the French testing program than I did then; I also recognize the positive (and negative) lessons it can teach Americans. After briefly setting the stage by describing the French school system, I will provide details about testing in France today and then indicate what we might learn from it.

School Choice: Silver Bullet, Social Threat, or Sound Policy?

Longtemps, les Etats-Unis ont ete preoccupes par l’efficacite de l’enseignement des mathematiques, les responsables de l’education et les hommes politiques ayant souvent defendu un retour aux competences de base et un developpement de systemes d’evaluation rigoureux comme moyen d’ameliorer la reussite scolaire en mathematiques. Les etudes internationales, neanmoins, suggerent que de telles reformes pourraient ne pas etre la meilleure voie. A travers cette etude qualitative, les auteurs explorent l’approche francaise de l’enseignement des mathematiques a l’ecole elementaire, a partir d’entretiens, d’observations de classe et de documents constituant une serie de donnees. Ils mettent en œuvre un cadre theorique et montrent qu’en France l’instruction se fait en classe entiere selon une pedagogie visible centree sur la discussion des concepts mathematiques plutot que sur la realisation d’exercices pratiques. Le curriculum national y est relativement non prescriptif, et les enseignants sont d’une certaine maniere engages dans le management local. Les auteurs concluent que les cles du succes francais en mathematiques s’expliquent par une evaluation formative, des enseignants competents dans la discipline, des politiques et des pratiques qui aident les eleves en difficultes et l’utilisation de methodes constructivistes. Ils encouragent les chercheurs specialises dans le comparatisme a aller voir au-dela des resultats des comparaisons internationales pour traiter plus en profondeur les questions touchant aux politiques d’education et aux pratiques d’enseignement.