This book provides an unconventional account of post-1989 education reform in Romania. By drawing on policy documentation, interviews with key players, qualitative data from everyday school contexts, and extensive textbook analysis, this groundbreaking study explores change within the Romanian education system as a process that institutionalises world culture through symbolic mediation of the concept 'Europe'. The book argues that the education system's structural and organisational evolution through time is decoupled from its self-depiction by ultimately serving a nation-building agenda. It does so despite notable changes in the discourse reflecting increasingly transnational definitions of the mission of the school in the post-1989 era. The book also suggests that the notions of 'nation' and 'citizen' institutionalised by the school are gradually being redefined as cosmopolitan, matching post-war patterns of post-national affiliations on a worldwide level.

Young Children and the Arts: Nurturing Imagination and Creativity examines the place of the arts in the experiences of young and very young children at home and in out-of-home settings at school and in the community. There is great need for development of resources in the arts specifically designed to introduce babies and toddlers to participatory experiences in the visual arts, dance, music, and storytelling/theater. This book presents valuable guidelines for early childhood teachers, families, caregivers and community organizations. Young Children and the Arts presents a comprehensive approach to the arts that is aligned with early childhood developmentally appropriate practice and that combines an exploratory, materials-based approach with an aesthetic-education approach for children from birth to eight years of age. It addresses both how the arts are foundational to learning, and how teachers and parents can nurture young children's developing imagination and creativity. The models presented emphasize a participatory approach, introducing young children to the arts through activities that call for engagement, initiative and creative activity. Additionally, Young Children and the Arts addresses the intersection of early childhood education and the arts-at points of convergence, and at moments of tension. The role of families and communities in developing and promoting arts suffused experiences for and with young children are addressed. Young Children and the Arts examines the role of innovative arts policy in supporting a broad-based early arts program across the diverse settings in which young children and their families live, work, and learn.

This twenty-third ICMI Study addresses for the first time mathematics teaching and learning in the primary school (and pre-school) setting, while also taking international perspectives, socio-cultural diversity and institutional constraints into account. One of the main challenges of designing the first ICMI primary school study of this kind is the complex nature of mathematics at the early level. Accordingly, a focus area that is central to the discussion was chosen, together with a number of related questions. The broad area of Whole Number Arithmetic (WNA), including operations and relations and arithmetic word problems, forms the core content of all primary mathematics curricula. The study of this core content area is often regarded as foundational for later mathematics learning. However, the principles and main goals of instruction on the foundational concepts and skills in WNA are far from universally agreed upon, and practice varies substantially from country to country. As such, this study presents a meta-level analysis and synthesis of what is currently known about WNA, providing a useful base from which to gauge gaps and shortcomings, as well as an opportunity to learn from the practices of different countries and contexts.

Gender is a hotly debated topic in the field of education. The role that language plays in educational contexts especially in the classroom has long been acknowledged. Innovatively combining approaches in the analysis of classroom discourse, this book offers rich empirical findings as well as being theoretically interesting and valuable.

Animals make learning the ABC's fun The amazing animal instructors are clever characters as they make use of items available and associated with them to create the ABC'S A to Z. From the ape using his favorite food bananas and turning them into the letter A to the zebra painting the letter Z similar to stripes. Come and join the rest of the animals to learn their letters of the alphabet. They are entertaining and full of surprises.

Can a bold investment in education turn around the economy of an entire city? Gene I. Maeroff, a former education reporter for the New York Times, explores how the nonprofit group Say Yes to Education has instituted a network of reforms in Syracuse, New York, that supports students at every level from kindergarten through college. He traces out how Say Yes and the Syracuse school district built a coalition of partners in business, education, and local and state government, implemented a series of programs to improve the school system, and reached out to support students. Telling the story and identifying the strengths of this remarkable and replicable program, Maeroff shows how this focused, directed, and broad-based coalition has created a model for reviving the economy and civic fabric of American cities by investing in children's education.

Whether it is requests for bricks and mortar or more operating money, each election type and context is unique with no guarantee that a set of campaign strategies successful in one district will not fail in another community. If successful campaigns were not such a delicate balance of science and art, the key to success would have long since been discovered, resulting in significantly more school districts winning at the ballot box. As members of the baby-boom generation collectively watch their last child receive a diploma from our nation's public schools, passing school finance elections is going to be even more difficult, promising tougher battles with the electorate and tighter margins between success and failure. School Finance Elections represents a marriage of research and successful practice, presenting a comprehensive planning model for school leaders preparing for and conducting school finance elections. Information presented emphasizes systems and strategies rather than specific campaign tactics. Avoiding a myopic focus on tactics allows school leaders to elevate their thinking to a more comprehensive and long-range vision of election planning. Each of the chapters elaborates on one of the ten elements in the authors' comprehensive planning model. Use of this model has reaped success in all types of school districts from New Jersey to California, and the authors aim to bring readers success at the ballot box as well. This second edition builds on the first with expanded sections about the attitudes of voters whose children have grown and graduated, research into the nature of organized opposition, and new material highlighting the Internet in campaigns. The authors provide school leaders with important resources to guide their planning and execution of school finance referenda."

The behavior and safety of children and young people in and around schools is a topic of world-wide concern. From school shootings and deaths on school premises to the everyday behavior of young people in school, this book explores what is happening in schools in Britain and links it with evidence from elsewhere in the world.

A volume in Research on Religion and Education Series Editors Stephen J. Denig, Niagara University and Lyndon G. Furst, Andrews University This book is a study of the contributions of Catholic K-12 schools in the United States to the public interest from the 1800's to the present. It presents seven strategies that have the possibility of leading Catholic schools in positive, new directions. Outsiders often misunderstand the mission, purpose, and inclusivity of Catholic schools. This book brings a new focus on Catholic schools from the perspective of their service to this country through the education of Catholics and non-Catholics. In 16 chapters, a variety of scholars examine these schools across three periods: echoes of the past, realities of the present, and future directions. The intention of the editor and authors of this volume is that Catholic schools and those interested in conducting Catholic school research will find guidance, especially in examining newer types of partnerships flourishing in different types of Catholic schools in different regions of the country and types of schools from rural, suburban to city and inner-city schools. By increasing the data we have, such studies could help stem the tide of Catholic school demise. In addition, Catholic school leaders, and parents who chose them or are thinking about choosing them, will find here a balanced description of what constitutes a Catholic school and how they are different from public schools. In understanding better the role and function of Catholic schools in serving the public interest, new ideas, innovations, and improvements can help these schools survive and grow.

The 50 Fantastic Ideas series is packed full of fun, original, skills-based activities for Early Years practitioners to use with children aged 0-5. Each activity features step-by-step guidance, a list of resources, and a detailed explanation of the skills children will learn. Creative, simple, and highly effective, this series is a must-have for every Early Years setting. Jamie Victoria Barnes, creator of The Childcare Guru, uses her wealth of knowledge to present an invaluable resource filled with activities that spark creativity and encourage development and learning in a natural environment, perfect for helping young children enjoy a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The benefits of rich outdoor learning experiences are second to none. Outdoor learning offers holistic development for every child and in a fast-paced world heavily focussed on technology, forest schools provide a stimulating and relaxed environment to learn in, away from time pressures and electric devices. 50 Fantastic Ideas for Forest School presents full-colour photographs and easy-to-follow activities from Forest School TV to natural art self-portraits to get young children outside and reconnecting with the natural world, supporting their emotional and spiritual wellbeing. With over 40 books in the 50 Fantastic Ideas series there's something for everyone - whether you're a practitioner looking for new ideas or you want to try out a popular well-loved activity with a new twist. Each book offers a wide range of fun and creative activities to carry out with children aged 0 - 5 years, with lists of resources, step-by-step instructions and information about the benefits for children.

At a time when lowering the dropout rate is said to be a national priority, America's longest running and largest dropout prevention program has gone strangely unnoticed. This highly readable book explores the hidden world of the continuation high school, the most common form of alternative high school. Deirdre M. Kelly analyzes the factors that limit its success and focuses especially on gender issues in these schools: how girls and boys slip in and out of the system in different ways, for different reasons, and with different consequences. Kelly finds that mainstream high schools attempt to mask their own dropout and pushout rates by sending marginalized students to continuation schools. These schools, therefore, become as much safety valves for the system as safety nets for the students, and the resulting contradictions and stigma hamper success. In the two continuation schools that she examined closely, completion rates were low. Kelly discusses the history of the continuation school and the ethnic and class composition of the student body: in cities, African-Americans and Latinos predominate, and in the suburbs, mostly middle-class whites attend. She examines for the first time how formal and hidden curricula and peer influences affect girls and boys differently and lead them to drop out of school. Drawing on a year's on-site observations, interviews with students and teachers, school records, and theories of gender, class, and ethnicity, Kelly both analyzes and brings to life what more than one student describes as the emotional "soap opera" of high school.

This Encyclopedia is a reference work about young children in the USA, designed for use by policy makers, community planners, parents of young children, teacher and early childhood educators, programme and school administrators, among others. The field of early childhood education has been affected by changes taking place in the nation's economy, demographics, schools, communities and families that influence political and professional decisions. These diverse historical, political economic, socio-cultural, intellectual and educational influences on early childhood education have hindered the development of a clear definition of the field. The Encyclopedia provides an opportunity to define the field against the background of these influences and relates the field of early childhood education to its diverse contexts and to the cultural and technological resources currently affecting it.

This book addresses the relationship between the production of social problems in educational policy, the research practices required to inform policy, and the daily production of normalcies and differences in school contexts. It reports on the opportunities and consequences for policy, research, and practice when normalcy is stigmatized at the same level as difference. The book employs a critical analysis combining queer, feminist, and post-representational theories to understand the implications of dominant ways of understanding the division between normal and different subjectivities and how they reiterate structures of inequality in schools.

Science fairs, clubs, and talent searches are familiar fixtures in American education, yet little is known about why they began and grew in popularity. In Science Education and Citizenship, Sevan G. Terzian traces the civic purposes of these extracurricular programs for youth over four decades in the early to mid-twentieth century. He argues that Americans' mobilization for World War Two reoriented these educational activities from scientific literacy to national defense -- a shift that persisted in the ensuing atomic age and has left a lasting legacy in American science education.

Make teaching reading comprehension simple, enjoyable and impactful with this proven mastery approach. Learn what works and why it works, take ownership of your teaching practice and meet the demands of the Key Stage 2 (KS2) National Curriculum with outstanding results. This book provides many different strategies for teaching reading comprehension in a way that gives all pupils access to a rich variety of texts and boosts able readers' potential. Expert consultant and teacher Kala Williams uses clear explanations of the different mastery methods and why they work, as well as easy-to-follow classroom strategies, such as 'read around the word' and the 'processing chart', that are accessible to all teachers. This book is the perfect guide for any primary teacher looking to solidify their reading comprehension practice and maximise their pupils' abilities.

This book presents six different charter schools that explicitly embrace a compelling civic mission and that foster an excellent academic environment. This volume makes the case that the rediscovery of the civic mission of schooling is not at odds with the broader education reform movement. These charter schools all have widely different approaches to teaching and fostering civic-mindedness, but each charter system links good behavior, character formation, and the practical aspects of citizenship with classroom performance.

Interpreting the voices of under three year olds is central to early childhood education. Yet entering into their life-worlds is fraught with challenges and unrealised possibilities. This ground-breaking book generates a dialogue about the multiple ways researchers have exploited a range of methods for approaching, accessing, understanding and interpreting infant voice. Each chapter explores the kinds of ethical considerations and dilemmas that may arise in this process. The book itself represents a chorus of international voices (researchers, children, teachers and parents), all adding to a discussion about various circumstances, dilemmas and possibilities involved in doing research with our youngest. This book is an essential read for researchers and teachers alike who seek to 'listen' and 'see' very young children with fresh ears and eyes.

The Second Edition of Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs offers updated accounts of music educators' experiences, featured as vignettes throughout the book. An accompanying Practical Resource includes lesson plans, worksheets, and games for classroom use. As a practical guide and reference manual, Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs, Second Edition addresses special needs in the broadest possible sense to equip teachers with proven, research-based curricular strategies that are grounded in both best practice and current special education law. Chapters address the full range of topics and issues music educators face, including parental involvement, student anxiety, field trips and performances, and assessment strategies. The book concludes with an updated list of resources, building upon the First Edition's recommendations.

Creative Activities for Teaching Pupils with English as an Additional Language is a unique collectionof 150 enjoyable and inspiring games and activities to help support learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL) in the inclusive classroom. This bank of ideas will support you in helping newly arrived pupils settle into their class and school, and are easy to integrate into your planning to support your learners across the curriculum. Designed with busy teachers in mind, the Classroom Gems series draws together an extensive selection of practical, tried-and-tested, off-the-shelf ideas, games and activities, guaranteed to transform any lesson or classroom in an instant. Easily navigable, allowing you to choose the right activity quickly and easily, these invaluable resources are guaranteed to save you time and are a must-have tool to plan, prepare and deliver first-rate lessons.

This Tutor Delivery Pack for AQA GCSE (9-1) Grades 5-9 Tutor Delivery Pack for English Language contains everything you need for a whole academic year of private tutoring: 38 complete lessons, complete with plans, activities and homework Detailed explanation on the use of the pack Information for parents Specification guidance Advice on preparing for the exam Needs analysis for the parents and the students Mapping guide to the Revise GCSE Series Progress and End-of-Lesson Report templates Differentiation and extension ideas Customisable certificates in the digital version of the pack

The book compares the standardized test scores of both elementary and high schools charter schools with the scores for regular public schools located nearby. It examines the position supported by charter school advocates that charter schools should be supported because they outperform regular public schools. Given that charter schools in Chicago have enjoyed a great deal of support from the past two mayors, and that they make up some 20% of all public schools in the city, Chicago is the perfect location in which to examine this critical issue. Charter schools siphon money and in theory better students from regular public schools at a time when public schools in almost every big city faces financial difficulties. Teachers unions oppose them, as do most liberal scholars. Conservatives and big business support them, as do most conservative scholars. The existence of charter schools is a most divisive issue! Yet, little real data exist to allow us to properly judge the effectiveness of charters. The current work changes that by examining test data in a sophisticated manner that allows comparisons between charters and regular schools. This work should move the debate forward, but will no doubt generate controversy as well.