This text highlights the indispensable role of school counselors today, namely as change agents in an increasingly complex and fluctuating school system. Informed by emerging standards of practice and current research, the book adopts the salutary perspective of solution-focused brief therapy as its foundation. It outlines practical and time-sensitive strategies for school counselors to use with students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

The Solution-Focused School Counselor encourages readers to envision and proactively construct interactions with students, families, and staff that contribute not only to the formation of an exceptional school, but to the shaping of an effective professional practice. Blending current theory into practice, the authors have consulted research across a variety of disciplines and have related it in an understandable format.

School counselors will find this book useful either as a professional resource to be read from cover-to-cover, or as a reference tool from which specific sections may be consulted. This book is an excellent resource for school counselors and students alike. It is also useful for school psychologists and administrators as well as anyone interested in making a difference in the school setting.

Contents:
1. Concepts of Special Educational Needs 2. The Legislative Framework 3. The Range of Special Educational Need and Provision 4. A Curriculum for All? 5. Teaching Approaches and Organisational Strategies 6. The Social and Emotional Context for Learning 7. Frameworks of Support

eBook available with sample pages: HB:0750708425

School choice is a hot topic in the United States. Private school vouchers, public charter schools, open enrollment, and homeschooling all regularly appear on the policy agenda as ways to improve the educational experience and outcomes for students, parents, and the broader society. Pundits often make claims about the various ways in which parents select schools and thus customize their child's education. What claims about school choice are grounded in actual evidence? This book presents systematic reviews of the social science research regarding critical aspects of parental school choice. How do parents choose schools and what do they seek? What effects do their choices have on the racial integration of schools and the performance of the schools that serve non-choosing students? What features of public charter schools are related to higher student test scores? What effects does school choice have on important non-cognitive outcomes including parent satisfaction, student character traits, and how far students go in school? What do we know about homeschooling as a school choice? This book, originally published as a special issue of the Journal of School Choice, provides evidence-based answers to those vital questions.

This book examines reform in American education over the past fifty years and against this backdrop presents a compelling analysis of why contemporary voucher plans and charter schools have yet to fulfill the expectations of their advocates. It is the only book to date to attempt a comprehensive synthesis and analysis of the emerging research base on vouchers and charter schools. Suitable for courses in school policy, school reform, school leadership, or educational issues, it will also be of interest to anyone (parents, teachers, policymakers) directly involved with the charter school movement.
Key features of this timely new book include the following:
* A Historical Perspective--The early chapters look at American educational reform over the past fifty years and analyze why these efforts have fallen short of their goals.
* Student Achievement--Chapter 3 provides an insightful assessment of American students' school achievement from 1970 to the present and, in the process, counters the widely held myth that, overall, student achievement has deteriorated.
* Voucher Plans and Charter Schools--Chapter 4 looks specifically at choice and vouchers in American education while chapters 5-7 provide a comprehensive and balanced examination of the charter school movement.
* Policy Recommendations--The book concludes with explicit policy suggestions that attempt to balance the educational needs of children and youth against the rights of schools to experiment. Suggestions for developing broader coalitions to support public education, particularly in the inner cities, are also offered.

Schools are now seen as being one of the key agents which can help redress society's most fundamental problems, create more cohesive communities and promote citizenship and a sense of social conscience in the young. Promoting Mental, Emotional and Social Health: A Whole School Approach provides a clear and practical overview of ways in which mainstream schools can promote the health of all those who work and learn in them.
Supported by the latest new evidence from the UK and Europe as well as findings from the USA, it outlines and examines:
* evidence that social and emotional learning and academic achievement can go hand in hand and that the same key factors underlie both happy and effective schools
* the areas of school life that are the key to promoting social and affective health, including relationships with families and the community, management and the curriculum
* the competencies that we all need to become more emotionally literate and relate to more effectively.

This text provides user friendly advice and support for school teachers and lecturers in further and higher education who need to know what information technology and computers can do for their work.

Communitarianism, as a movement, is clearly a dominant theme within New Labour's educational policy. How does this affect education and the life and work of schools? Research has shown that there is a correlation between academic achievement and the strength of community life and awareness within a school. The aim of this book, therefore, is to introduce communitarian thought to classroom teachers and to those working in education. The book contextualizes the current debates within education around the many topical ideas being developed by communitarian thinkers, including: character building; the role of parents; the community and the individual; values education and citizenship; community education; and standards and ethos in schools. Throughout, the book makes specific reference to the practical implications for both primary and secondary schools as well as for further education colleges. This is a timely book that should be of interest to all those working in schools and with children and young people. It aims to be a guide to this important and highly influential movement that is shaping our educational future.

Although pupil disaffection has been a major concern to professionals, policy makers and researchers for quite some time, recent professional books in the area tend to focus on behaviour and exclusion from schools. Despite considerable government funding in both LEA's and schools- to promote new measures to improve school attendance, non-attendance at school is a relatively neglected topic as far as serious researched-based literature is concerned. This book will be the first in several years concerned with non-attendance.
Previously unpublished research material in the book will provide a multi-disciplinary evaluation of practice at LEA, whole school and individual levels.

This collection of essays on the philosophy of religion and its future brings together accomplished thinkers across several related fields, from comparative philosophy to analytic and continental philosophy of religion and beyond. Contributing authors address pressing questions including: Where does philosophy stand in relation to religion and the study of religion in the 21st century? How ought the philosophy of religion to interact with religious studies and theology to make for fruitful interdisciplinary engagement? And what does philosophy uniquely have to offer to the broad discourse on religion in the modern world? Through exploring these questions and more, the authors' goal is not that of meeting the philosophical future, but of forging it. Readers will enter a vivid conversation through engaging essays which demonstrate the importance of disciplinary openness and show that we do not need to sacrifice depth in order to achieve breadth. Modernity and postmodernity come together in a constantly evolving discussion that moves the philosophy of religion forward, while keeping an eye toward the experience accumulated in past centuries. This book will interest students of philosophy, theology, religious studies, and other fields that wonder about the place of philosophy and religion in today's world. It also has much to offer advanced scholars in these fields, through its breadth and forward thinking.

Reissuing three works originally published in 1984 and 1992, this collection brings together books across the issues of education and race. This small set will be of benefit to teachers and education researchers in these areas as well as those interested in education history.

This INSET-based book provides teachers and managers in schools with a practical guide to developing and maintaining high standards of behavior. Using their extensive experience, the authors emphasize planning policies which take account of the individual needs of the staff and pupils as well as whole-school administration. They encourage an experimental approach supported by many activities to guide the development process, and consider both the 'soft', human side of the development process, as well as the more predictable 'hard' side involving audit, planning, implementation and review.

Among the abundance of material available about death and dying, there is a very limited amount that deals directly with the needs of a school community when one of its members dies. In addition, a great need exists for schools to develop an organized plan for responding to the death of a student or staff member. "A Student Dies, A School Mourns" aims to fill this gap. The book not only examines and explains the grief reactions of students and school staff members and the factors that affect these reactions, it also provides a systematic guide for developing a death-related crisis response plan.
This timely book is designed to be a systematic guide that incorporates a thorough analysis of grief in school, including normal and abnormal grief reactions, factors affecting these grief responses, and the differences in death beliefs and responses of students at different ages and developmental stages. It also acts as a map or step-by-step guide for establishing a death-related response plan. The liberal use of flow charts, time tables, and action plans, turns the often daunting task of creating a response plan into a relatively painless activity, stating what must be done, who should do it, and when. Extensive coverage is given to two issues in particular: youth suicide and violence/murder in the school.
" A Student Dies, A School Mourns" will be a vital resource for school counselors, social workers, rehab psychologists, school administrators, teachers, clergy and anyone with an interest in death as it pertains to the school community. It will also be of use as a textbook for courses in death and dying, educational psychology, education, and educational administration.

Using the accounts of mainstream pupils and pupils with SEN, the author explores the pupils' identities and experiences in relation to each other. In particular, mainstream pupils often function as "deciders" with regard to the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs. The research also shows how the pupils with SEN actively challenge these decisions and seek to influence perceptions of themselves and their inclusion experiences through the "practices of self". It argues that existing research has tended to focus upon the practices of integration and inclusion, without much attention being paid to what inclusion means to young people. Strategies for inclusion have to take into account both mainstream and SEN pupils, if they are to have a chance of succeeding. The research presented in this book should prove of value in helping teachers achieve inclusion in the classroom.

Contents:
Introduction 1. Leadership and management 2. Working with others 3. Teams and team building 4. Maintaining staff motivation 4. Managing the challenge of change 6. Communicating the vision 7. Selecting suitable staff 8. Effective interviewing for selection Appendix 9. Adding to the value of the workforce 10. Caring for customers 11. Managing conflict and stress

The evil prosthesis of Captain Hook, the comical speech of Porky Pig, and the bumbling antics of Mr Magoo are all examples of images in our culture which can become the basis of negative attitudes and subliminal prejudice towards persons with disabilities. These attitudes influence and underlie discriminatory acts, resulting in negative treatment and segregation. A teacher's ability to recognise and counter such images may well determine the success of inclusion and mainstreaming programs in our schools and society. Well-researched and well-written, this book offers practical guidance as grounded in solid research to schools that are wrestling with how to mainstream children with disabilities.

This book is the perfect starting point for anyone looking to promote and encourage mental health in their school, or evaluate their existing provision, in line with current government priorities. It covers not only the day-to-day practical steps you can take to meet the mental health needs of learners, but also a provides a whole bank of ideas for ensuring you adopt a whole-school approach to positive mental health. Pooky Knightsmith lays out tried and tested tools you can use to evaluate the overall mental health of a school, showing how to improve and support the mental health of staff, and how to ensure that the voice of every learner is heard and valued, including the most vulnerable - and that everyone involved with the school feels safe, healthy and happy. Pooky's simple 'litmus test' framework lays out six practical areas you can explore to implement change within your own school, with explanations, sheets to fill in, tips from loads of school staff, and case examples that break these ideas down into easily digestible chunks. This much-needed book is a jumping off point for meaningful change in all aspects of your school community that will promote, support and strengthen mental health at whole-school level.

The use of psychology in the classroom is a valuable tool for understanding and improving pupils' learning processes. This readable and informative book considers a range of contemporary issues including improving pupil motivation and understanding social dynamics in the classroom, and encourages teachers to conduct small-scale classroom investigations and to assess learning environments. It also provides a brief overview of the underlying psychological theory in each chapter and discusses the issues which are relevant to classroom practice, and provides practical examples and activities to support the text.

What is the creative potential of the new technologies? How can computers create new possibilities for artistic and creative work in education?
Young People, Creativity and New Technologies describes ways in which ICTs (Information Communication Technologies) can produce new possibilities for creative work both within the formal curriculum and in complementary educational arenas. It provides a series of case studies which show how 'digital arts' are currently being used across school and community arts curricula and demonstrates how ICTs can be used in a genuinely inter-disciplinary way.
It is aimed at those who are interested in practical ways to develop the creative uses of new technologies at school and in community arts settings.

First published in 1992. At one level, this book is about the care and education of children with very special needs. The needs result from emotional damage which impinges on their lives both at school and at home. At another level, it is about the development of a holistic approach to education - applicable to all children generally. The first part of the book describes the Raddery experience - a school set up in 1979 based on a holistic and therapeutic community approach to children with special needs. The second part of the book examines the implications of the Raddery experience for educational and child-care policy and practice at a time when there has been growing emphasis on integrating children with special needs into mainstream schools. Are the needs of the children at Raddery very different from others who have been successfully retained in normal classes? If Raddery, and schools like it, have a particular contribution, what is their secret? Can it be shared with ordinary schools?

"Language Policy in Schools" provides school administrators and teachers a practical approach for designing a language policy for their school and for dealing with the language issues that confront schools, particularly those operating in settings of linguistic and cultural diversity. It can be used as a text in teacher and administrator preparation programs, graduate programs, and in-service and professional development programs. Special features include:
* a clear, jargon-free writing style that invites careful reading;
* abundant examples that students of education everywhere can learn from--including samples of school language policies developed for real schools by real teacher-researchers;
* questions at the end of each chapter to highlight key points and stimulate informed discussion among pre-service and experienced teachers and administrators; and
* an up-to-date international and cross-cultural biography.

"Language Policy in Schools" provides school administrators and teachers a practical approach for designing a language policy for their school and for dealing with the language issues that confront schools, particularly those operating in settings of linguistic and cultural diversity. It can be used as a text in teacher and administrator preparation programs, graduate programs, and in-service and professional development programs. Special features include:
* a clear, jargon-free writing style that invites careful reading;
* abundant examples that students of education everywhere can learn from--including samples of school language policies developed for real schools by real teacher-researchers;
* questions at the end of each chapter to highlight key points and stimulate informed discussion among pre-service and experienced teachers and administrators; and
* an up-to-date international and cross-cultural biography.

This volume brings together a collection of essays by William A. Reid that present and elaborate the deliberative tradition of curriculum theory, and examine the implications of a deliberative perspective for approaches to policy making and school systems. The essays illustrate the development of Reid's understanding of the deliberative tradition and his efforts to extend it from a focus on practice to one that embraces conceptions of schooling as an institution.
"Institution" and "practice" are the key concepts which guide and illuminate the central thesis of the book: To be effective, a theory of curriculum must be able to talk not only about questions of desirable practice, but also about questions of how practice may be aided or constrained by the nature of the institution within which it takes place. This significant new contribution to the literature of curriculum studies:
*represents a unique attempt to synthesize what have often been treated as quite separate issues: questions of the philosophical basis for curriculum decision making, questions of processes of decision making, and questions of the nature of schools and classrooms;
*presents its material in an evolutionary way, focusing on the continuing development of ideas, rather than on a "rhetoric of conclusions"; and
*offers a summing up of thought and achievement in the deliberative tradition that is not otherwise available.

This text aims to raise levels of writing achievement for all children - particularly those with special educational needs - by helping teachers to coordinate the process of inclusion with national requirements for SEN and the National Literacy Strategy. The practical advice and information will enable teachers to: analyse children's difficulties with writing and identify the small steps of progression in spelling, handwriting and the ability to work at sentence and text level; match writing tasks to identified levels of attainment; integrate IEP targets for writing into normal classroom activities; assess all pupils' writing more effectively; teach writing for different purposes and for a range of audiences; reinforce good writing in other subject areas throughout the curriculum; develop children's confidence and motivation to write independently; and encourage team approaches to writing development through the coordinated support of learning support staff and parents.

'I do think it is an extremely well-written and edited book that is a useful resource to add to the growing literature on bullying. The topic is of particular relevance to EPs and if you have not read anything so far on school bullying, I recommend that you start with this book.' - Lisa Stanley, Kingston Upon Hull

'An invaluable resource for researchers, educators, and others interested in bullying - a must-have text for anyone who desires to understand and end this worldwide source of childhood distress.' - Renae Duncan, Murray State University, APA Review of Books