Sue Lasky

Linkages Between Federal, State and Local Levels in Educational Reform

In this chapter, we examine key linkages between systemic levels that impact classroom and school-level educational reform. Clearly, reform requires coordinated support (Datnow & Kemper, 2002; Earl et al., 2003). There is much that policy-makers, politicians, researchers, other reform stakeholders, principals and teachers need to know in order to effectively support the development and sustaining of high quality teaching and learning. People involved in trying to improve learning for all students often find themselves having to design systems for which they know no precedent. They must problem-solve in unfamiliar ways, develop up-to-date curricula, and coordinate resources in ways they have never before done. This requires systemic inquiry and system-wide capacity building. One of the least researched, yet most salient factors in educational reform is the linkages that exist across policy domains, and understanding how various kinds of resources work to strengthen — or tear asunder — these linkages

Teacher Transactions with the Emotional Dimensions of Student Experiences with Cancer

We propose that schools have a particular place in the lives of students living with cancer, and that many teachers are largely unprepared to understand the ongoing psychosocial and physical challenges they can face. We suggest that for teachers who educate students living with cancer there may be emotional stress or satisfaction unique to their experiences that are largely uninvestigated. We also outline a phased line of research that will investigate how to develop school-based, yet community wide networks of support to provide resources than can sustain teachers through the emotionality inherent in walking with students through their cancer journeys.

Diverse Populations and School Effectiveness and Improvement in the USA

We begin this chapter by setting the stage with a brief review of the literature on effective school practices, primarily focusing on racially and linguistically diverse districts and schools. We then discuss the background of this project, describing how we conducted a review of research on linkages between policy domains in an educational reform context. We next analyze, across the education system, those linkages that enhance the likelihood that these practices can be institutionalized, and close with directions for future research. The research base on school-level reform practices that lead to measurable improvements in student learning in high-poverty, culturally diverse urban settings is quite large (e.g., Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000; Teddlie, Stringfield, & Reynolds, 2000), yet few studies isolate the effects for language minority students (Goldenberg, 1996). We agree with the perspective that findings from the more “generic” effective schools research are probably applicable to English Language Learners (ELLs), even if ELL issues are neither specifically highlighted nor directly addressed. However, “other factors related to language, culture, or immigration experience are also likely to come into play for [Limited English Proficient] students” (Goldenberg, 1996, p. 1). School effects and school improvement research have consistently identified several core elements that result in improved student achievement. These include a pervasive focus on learning; attention to producing a positive school climate; initiatives to involve parents in productive ways; support systems to help students achieve success; specific efforts to achieve equity in learning opportunities and outcomes; multicultural education strategies; challenging academic content; and opportunities for students to use dialogue and ideally develop both their native language and English language skills (e.g., Brophy, 1982; Chrispeels, 1992; Cotton, 1995; Levine, Levine, & Eubanks, 1985; Tharp, Estrada, Dalton, & Yamauchi, 2000).

Integrating Educational Systems for Successful Reform in Diverse Contexts: Community-Level Reform Efforts

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. School level improvement efforts 3. District level reform efforts 4. Community level reform efforts 5. State level reform efforts 6. The role of reform design teams 7. The role of the Federal Government in reform efforts 8. Methodological issues in the study of systemic integration for effective reform 9. Discussion and conclusion Bibliography.