Policy Implications of Research in Education – serie

This book examines immigrant student achievement and education policy across a range of Western nations. It is divided into 3 sections: Part 1 introduces the topic of immigrant student achievement and the performance disadvantage that is consistently reported across a range of international jurisdictions. Part 2 then presents national profiles from scholars in ten countries (England, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). These educational jurisdictions were selected because they represent a range of Western nations engaged in large-scale reform efforts geared towards enhancing their immigrant students’ achievement. Each of the national profiles provides a brief overview of the evolution of the cultural composition of their respective school-aged student population; explains the trajectory of achievement results in non-immigrant and immigrant student groups in relation to both national and international large-scale assessment measures; and discusses the effectiveness of policy responses that have been adopted to close the achievement gap between non-immigrant and immigrant student populations. It also examines the relationships between education policies and immigrant student achievement and discusses how education policies have evolved across various cultural contexts. In conclusion, Part 3 analyzes cross-cultural approaches designed to address the performance disadvantage of immigrant students and proposes future areas of inquiry stemming from the national profiles.  The book offers insights into a diverse cross-section of nations and policy approaches to addressing the performance disadvantage.

This volume brings together many of South Africa’s leading scholars of education and covers the full range of South African schooling: from financing and policy reform to in-depth discussions of literacy, numeracy, teacher development and curriculum change. The book moves beyond a historical analysis and provides an inside view of the questions South African scholars are now grappling with: Are there different and preferential equilibria we have not yet thought of or explored, and if so what are they? In practical terms, how does one get to a more equitable distribution of teachers, resources and learning outcomes? While decidedly local, these questions resonate throughout the developing world.South Africa today is the most unequal country in the world. The richest 10% of South Africans lay claim to 65% of national income and 90% of national wealth. This is the largest 90-10 gap in the world, and one that is reflected in the schooling system. Two decades after apartheid it is still the case that the life chances of most South African children are determined not by their ability or the result of hard-work and determination, but instead by the colour of their skin, the province of their birth, and the wealth of their parents. Looking back on almost three decades of democracy in South Africa, it is this stubbornness of inequality and its patterns of persistence that demands explanation, justification and analysis."This is a landmark book on basic education in South Africa, an essential volume for those interested in learning outcomes and their inequality in South Africa. The various chapters present conceptually and empirically sophisticated analyses of learning outcomes across divisions of race, class, and place. The book brings together the wealth of decades of research output from top quality researchers to explore what has improved, what has not, and why."  Prof Lant Pritchett, Harvard University “There is much wisdom in this collection from many of the best education analysts in South Africa. No surprise that they conclude that without a large and sustained expansion in well-trained teachers, early childhood education, and adequate school resources, South Africa will continue to sacrifice its people’s future to maintaining the privileges of the few.”Prof Martin Carnoy, Stanford University "Altogether, one can derive from this very valuable volume, if not an exact blueprint for the future, then certainly at least a crucial and evidence-based itinerary for the next few steps.”Dr Luis Crouch, RTI

This volume brings together many of South Africa’s leading scholars of education and covers the full range of South African schooling: from financing and policy reform to in-depth discussions of literacy, numeracy, teacher development and curriculum change. The book moves beyond a historical analysis and provides an inside view of the questions South African scholars are now grappling with: Are there different and preferential equilibria we have not yet thought of or explored, and if so what are they? In practical terms, how does one get to a more equitable distribution of teachers, resources and learning outcomes? While decidedly local, these questions resonate throughout the developing world.South Africa today is the most unequal country in the world. The richest 10% of South Africans lay claim to 65% of national income and 90% of national wealth. This is the largest 90-10 gap in the world, and one that is reflected in the schooling system. Two decades after apartheid it is still the case that the life chances of most South African children are determined not by their ability or the result of hard-work and determination, but instead by the colour of their skin, the province of their birth, and the wealth of their parents. Looking back on almost three decades of democracy in South Africa, it is this stubbornness of inequality and its patterns of persistence that demands explanation, justification and analysis."This is a landmark book on basic education in South Africa, an essential volume for those interested in learning outcomes and their inequality in South Africa. The various chapters present conceptually and empirically sophisticated analyses of learning outcomes across divisions of race, class, and place. The book brings together the wealth of decades of research output from top quality researchers to explore what has improved, what has not, and why."  Prof Lant Pritchett, Harvard University “There is much wisdom in this collection from many of the best education analysts in South Africa. No surprise that they conclude that without a large and sustained expansion in well-trained teachers, early childhood education, and adequate school resources, South Africa will continue to sacrifice its people’s future to maintaining the privileges of the few.”Prof Martin Carnoy, Stanford University "Altogether, one can derive from this very valuable volume, if not an exact blueprint for the future, then certainly at least a crucial and evidence-based itinerary for the next few steps.”Dr Luis Crouch, RTI

This volume builds upon emergent understandings about educational leadership and policy in hopes of continuing to refine our understanding of what effective leadership means in linguistically and culturally diverse school contexts. The volume seeks to entrench a deeper understanding of the broader leadership policies and practices that promote the success of linguistically and culturally diverse students, while also recognizing that effective leadership can be highly dependent on context. It offers original empirical research that enhances an understanding of the interdependencies between leadership, culture, language, and policy (i.e., the mechanisms that engender or hinder successful stewardship of linguistic and cultural plurality).The confluence of school leadership, linguistic diversity, and multiculturalism makes this volume unique, especially considering the pace at which global migration continues to accelerate, coupled with the need to accommodate an array of diverselearning needs in today’s schools.

This volume builds upon emergent understandings about educational leadership and policy in hopes of continuing to refine our understanding of what effective leadership means in linguistically and culturally diverse school contexts. The volume seeks to entrench a deeper understanding of the broader leadership policies and practices that promote the success of linguistically and culturally diverse students, while also recognizing that effective leadership can be highly dependent on context. It offers original empirical research that enhances an understanding of the interdependencies between leadership, culture, language, and policy (i.e., the mechanisms that engender or hinder successful stewardship of linguistic and cultural plurality).The confluence of school leadership, linguistic diversity, and multiculturalism makes this volume unique, especially considering the pace at which global migration continues to accelerate, coupled with the need to accommodate an array of diverselearning needs in today’s schools.

This book provides a highly accessible overview of public education policy. It organizes knowledge about 21st century education policy around two main topics: the policy process, and the discourse on public education policy. This unique organization provides a novel lens for better understanding the dynamics and contents of current education policy making. The work also offers a broad overview of theories of public policy, economics, demography, sociology, history, and psychology. Each chapter includes a discussion of data derived from the international and Israeli contexts. The book provides a series of valuable insights relevant to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in understanding the multifaceted aspects that shape contemporary education policy.

This book provides a highly accessible overview of public education policy. It organizes knowledge about 21st century education policy around two main topics: the policy process, and the discourse on public education policy. This unique organization provides a novel lens for better understanding the dynamics and contents of current education policy making. The work also offers a broad overview of theories of public policy, economics, demography, sociology, history, and psychology. Each chapter includes a discussion of data derived from the international and Israeli contexts. The book provides a series of valuable insights relevant to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in understanding the multifaceted aspects that shape contemporary education policy.

This book discusses how Big Data could be implemented in educational settings and research, using empirical data and suggesting both best practices and areas in which to invest future research and development. It also explores: 1) the use of learning analytics to improve learning and teaching; 2) the opportunities and challenges of learning analytics in education.As Big Data becomes a common part of the fabric of our world, education and research are challenged to use this data to improve educational and research systems, and also are tasked with teaching coming generations to deal with Big Data both effectively and ethically.The Big Data era is changing the data landscape for statistical analysis, the ways in which data is captured and presented, and the necessary level of statistical literacy to analyse and interpret data for future decision making. The advent of Big Data accentuates the need to enable citizens to develop statistical skills, thinking and reasoning needed for representing, integrating and exploring complex information.This book offers guidance to researchers who are seeking suitable topics to explore. It presents research into the skills needed by data practitioners (data analysts, data managers, statisticians, and data consumers, academics), and provides insights into the statistical skills, thinking and reasoning needed by educators and researchers in the future to work with Big Data. This book serves as a concise reference for policymakers, who must make critical decisions regarding funding and applications.

This book discusses how Big Data could be implemented in educational settings and research, using empirical data and suggesting both best practices and areas in which to invest future research and development. It also explores: 1) the use of learning analytics to improve learning and teaching; 2) the opportunities and challenges of learning analytics in education.As Big Data becomes a common part of the fabric of our world, education and research are challenged to use this data to improve educational and research systems, and also are tasked with teaching coming generations to deal with Big Data both effectively and ethically.The Big Data era is changing the data landscape for statistical analysis, the ways in which data is captured and presented, and the necessary level of statistical literacy to analyse and interpret data for future decision making. The advent of Big Data accentuates the need to enable citizens to develop statistical skills, thinking and reasoning needed for representing, integrating and exploring complex information.This book offers guidance to researchers who are seeking suitable topics to explore. It presents research into the skills needed by data practitioners (data analysts, data managers, statisticians, and data consumers, academics), and provides insights into the statistical skills, thinking and reasoning needed by educators and researchers in the future to work with Big Data. This book serves as a concise reference for policymakers, who must make critical decisions regarding funding and applications.

Advanced Theories of Educational Leadership presents recent models of leadership and analyzes their components and implications in the educational context. Each chapter features the scholarly background of each model, its components, antecedents, and critically analyzes its values and application to educational institutions. Special attention is given to issues of social justice, equity, equality, anti-racism, and the like. This core text provides aspiring school leaders and administrators with each model theory, and tools for applying it with special attention to issues of social justice, equity, diversity, and anti-racism alike. The book designed in a form of a course textbook for postgraduate students in the field of Educational Leadership and Administration in studying each model. Also, it provides professors of educational leadership in teaching contents and methods in their courses about school leadership, school improvement, Educational Leadership Development, Superintendents’ Qualification; School Leadership Professional Development, every chapter includes teaching tools, reflection questions and practice activities for students, in addition the book informs researchers, and policymakers aiming at promoting multi-faceted educational leadership for equity and excellence and robust models of leading, improving and changing schools.

Advanced Theories of Educational Leadership presents recent models of leadership and analyzes their components and implications in the educational context. Each chapter features the scholarly background of each model, its components, antecedents, and critically analyzes its values and application to educational institutions. Special attention is given to issues of social justice, equity, equality, anti-racism, and the like. This core text provides aspiring school leaders and administrators with each model theory, and tools for applying it with special attention to issues of social justice, equity, diversity, and anti-racism alike. The book designed in a form of a course textbook for postgraduate students in the field of Educational Leadership and Administration in studying each model. Also, it provides professors of educational leadership in teaching contents and methods in their courses about school leadership, school improvement, Educational Leadership Development, Superintendents’ Qualification; School Leadership Professional Development, every chapter includes teaching tools, reflection questions and practice activities for students, in addition the book informs researchers, and policymakers aiming at promoting multi-faceted educational leadership for equity and excellence and robust models of leading, improving and changing schools.

This open access book addresses the complex interrelations between education policy and education practice developed under new ways of governance. It illuminates the nexuses of the interrelated fields of education policy and education practice including the characteristics of these relationships. The book offers a selection of cases with varied approaches to the question of how different actors and stakeholders are situated in contemporary policy and practice nexuses. The cases presented  includes theoretical and conceptual studies; historical studies; ethnographic studies; and studies combining empirical interview data and quantitative data.   The book shows what constitutes the contemporary nexuses in education and discusses the need to re-consider how we in education research approach policy and practice in the interface between structure and agency for the future developments in the education policy-practice nexus.

This open access book addresses the complex interrelations between education policy and education practice developed under new ways of governance. It illuminates the nexuses of the interrelated fields of education policy and education practice including the characteristics of these relationships. The book offers a selection of cases with varied approaches to the question of how different actors and stakeholders are situated in contemporary policy and practice nexuses. The cases presented  includes theoretical and conceptual studies; historical studies; ethnographic studies; and studies combining empirical interview data and quantitative data.   The book shows what constitutes the contemporary nexuses in education and discusses the need to re-consider how we in education research approach policy and practice in the interface between structure and agency for the future developments in the education policy-practice nexus.

This book includes a set of rigorous and accessible studies on the topic of “research evidence” from a variety of levels and educational vantage points. It also provides the reader with thoughtful commentaries from leading thinkers in the field. The complex process of acquiring, interpreting, and using research evidence makes for a rich and under examined area in educational research, practice and policymaking. Policy makers, practitioners and scholars are in need of additional knowledge and practical steps in terms of the uptake of evidence into practice. In addition, sharpening understanding in terms of the ways in which research evidence is shaped or adapted at different educational levels (school, district, state, federal) as well the factors that support or constrain the acquisition and use of research evidence is of immediate use. While professional support for evidence-based practice in schools has never been stronger, credible research has found only weak large-scale effects. This book provides us with key insights about the nature of this problem and a comprehensive approach to its solution; it is a major step toward realizing the considerable potential for school improvement of reciprocal working relationships among policy, practice and research communities. Ken Leithwood, Emeritus Professor, OISE/University of TorontoThe problem of scant research use at school sites is old, but the federal to classroom level scope of this book is unique. The authors' analysis of the current status leads to despair, but they provide a clear and compelling path forward. Michael Kirst, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University; President, California State Board of Education.We have come a long way since the linear "Research, Dissemination, Utilization" models of knowledge use of  the 1970s and 80s.  Each chapter in this book lays out new directions for understanding how individuals, relationships andsystems advance or impede the movement of new ideas into policy/practice. Taken together, they redefine knowledge use as a dynamic process that affects and is affected by specific characteristics of the social structures in which is occurs.  It is a "must read" both for those interested in educational change and organizational theory. Karen Seashore Louis, Regents Professor, University of Minnesota

This book is the outcome of a colloquium series organized by The University of Sydney in which leading and emerging researchers were invited to name what they took to be the deep flaws at the heart of contemporary educational and policy and practice in Australia and globally — to voice their potentially ‘heretical’ views on what most urgently needs to be done. The chapters in this collection are paired to offer two takes on each topic, from supplementing to critiquing to countering and most points in between.The issues addressed in this volume include: the place of education in national and international marketplaces, mass testing and standardisation, the future of ‘multiculturalism’ in schools, the public funding of private schools, the complicated relationship between evidence and policy and the shifting politics of inequality. This book is based on the idea that recognising deep disagreements on big issues is a necessary accompaniment to imagining and developing productive ways forward.

This book explores the dynamics of curriculum policy processes involved in the adoption, production and enactment of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). It addresses deficits in current literature and provides insight into and the complexities involved within a framework that takes cognisance of the relationships between global, regional, national and local levels of education policy processes. In doing so, it contributes to the current body of research on international education, remote education and policy processes. The IBPYP is one of the three programmes that go to make up the increasingly popular suite of programmes offered by the IBO. Given the exponential growth of international schools caused by an ever changing globalized world and a mobile workforce, international curriculum policy is becoming more complex. This has lead to a recognition of the need for a range of policy analysis studies in the field. The study presented in this book was conceptualised in the light of such recognition. This relatively uncharted field has been explored by focusing on one of the most ‘unusual’ settings. Accordingly, the adoption, production and enactment of the IBPYO at three remote international schools has been examined. The study also addresses how the phenomena of ‘international schools’ and ‘remote schools’ complement or compete with, each other. This results in a better understanding of the educational policies informing both ‘international schools’ and ‘remote schools’ and the interconnectivity that might exist between them.

This book addresses policy research on homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools. It covers quantitative and qualitative research into policy impacts for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex students. It draws on a large-scale Australian study of the impacts of different kinds of policy at the national, state, sector and school level. The study covers over 80 policies, interviews with key policy informants and survey data from 3,134 GLBTIQ students. Since new guidelines were released by UNESCO, homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools has become a key area of interest around the world. There has been much pressure on educational leadership to engage with these issues since the UN released international human rights legislation on sexual orientation and gender identity that have implications for student rights. The book presents statistically significant correlations between specific types of state and school level education policies that explicitly named homophobia/ GLBTIQ student issues, and lowered incidence of homophobic bullying, lowered risk of suicide and self-harm for these students. It includes stories from policy makers on how the policies came to be (through lawsuits, ministerial inquiries and political activism), right through to the stories of students themselves and how they individually felt the impacts of policies or policy lacks. International contexts of homophobic and transphobic bullying are discussed, as well as recent transnational work in this field. The book considers the different types of collaborations that can lead to further policy development, the transferability of the research and some of the benefits and problems with transnational policy adoptions.

This book analyses accountability and quality policies relating to learning standards and examines their implications for assessment in higher education. Whilst primarily focusing on the Australian setting, this analysis is located within a broader frame of reference that includes the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (US), and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Across these settings, comparative measures of learning have been seen as a policy ‘solution’ to the problem of ‘proving quality’ in a globalised and increasingly competitive higher education market. Comparative measures of learning depend on the specification of learning standards. Learning standards attempt to articulate the capabilities expected of graduates, and students’ achievement of these is determined through the practices of assessment carried out within institutions. Quality policy, learning standards and assessment practices all intersect within the broader umbrella ofaccountability, with relevance to governments, higher education providers, employers, parents, and students. The findings reported in this book highlight a number of policy influences, including the rising demands for national and international comparative data on learning standards to compare quality and inform student choice in a globally competitive market.

This book includes a set of rigorous and accessible studies on the topic of “research evidence” from a variety of levels and educational vantage points. It also provides the reader with thoughtful commentaries from leading thinkers in the field. The complex process of acquiring, interpreting, and using research evidence makes for a rich and under examined area in educational research, practice and policymaking. Policy makers, practitioners and scholars are in need of additional knowledge and practical steps in terms of the uptake of evidence into practice. In addition, sharpening understanding in terms of the ways in which research evidence is shaped or adapted at different educational levels (school, district, state, federal) as well the factors that support or constrain the acquisition and use of research evidence is of immediate use. While professional support for evidence-based practice in schools has never been stronger, credible research has found only weak large-scale effects. This book provides us with key insights about the nature of this problem and a comprehensive approach to its solution; it is a major step toward realizing the considerable potential for school improvement of reciprocal working relationships among policy, practice and research communities. Ken Leithwood, Emeritus Professor, OISE/University of TorontoThe problem of scant research use at school sites is old, but the federal to classroom level scope of this book is unique. The authors' analysis of the current status leads to despair, but they provide a clear and compelling path forward. Michael Kirst, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University; President, California State Board of Education.We have come a long way since the linear "Research, Dissemination, Utilization" models of knowledge use of  the 1970s and 80s.  Each chapter in this book lays out new directions for understanding how individuals, relationships andsystems advance or impede the movement of new ideas into policy/practice. Taken together, they redefine knowledge use as a dynamic process that affects and is affected by specific characteristics of the social structures in which is occurs.  It is a "must read" both for those interested in educational change and organizational theory. Karen Seashore Louis, Regents Professor, University of Minnesota

This book is the outcome of a colloquium series organized by The University of Sydney in which leading and emerging researchers were invited to name what they took to be the deep flaws at the heart of contemporary educational and policy and practice in Australia and globally — to voice their potentially ‘heretical’ views on what most urgently needs to be done. The chapters in this collection are paired to offer two takes on each topic, from supplementing to critiquing to countering and most points in between.The issues addressed in this volume include: the place of education in national and international marketplaces, mass testing and standardisation, the future of ‘multiculturalism’ in schools, the public funding of private schools, the complicated relationship between evidence and policy and the shifting politics of inequality. This book is based on the idea that recognising deep disagreements on big issues is a necessary accompaniment to imagining and developing productive ways forward.

This book explores the dynamics of curriculum policy processes involved in the adoption, production and enactment of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). It addresses deficits in current literature and provides insight into and the complexities involved within a framework that takes cognisance of the relationships between global, regional, national and local levels of education policy processes. In doing so, it contributes to the current body of research on international education, remote education and policy processes. The IBPYP is one of the three programmes that go to make up the increasingly popular suite of programmes offered by the IBO. Given the exponential growth of international schools caused by an ever changing globalized world and a mobile workforce, international curriculum policy is becoming more complex. This has lead to a recognition of the need for a range of policy analysis studies in the field. The study presented in this book was conceptualised in the light of such recognition. This relatively uncharted field has been explored by focusing on one of the most ‘unusual’ settings. Accordingly, the adoption, production and enactment of the IBPYO at three remote international schools has been examined. The study also addresses how the phenomena of ‘international schools’ and ‘remote schools’ complement or compete with, each other. This results in a better understanding of the educational policies informing both ‘international schools’ and ‘remote schools’ and the interconnectivity that might exist between them.

This book addresses policy research on homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools. It covers quantitative and qualitative research into policy impacts for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex students. It draws on a large-scale Australian study of the impacts of different kinds of policy at the national, state, sector and school level. The study covers over 80 policies, interviews with key policy informants and survey data from 3,134 GLBTIQ students. Since new guidelines were released by UNESCO, homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools has become a key area of interest around the world. There has been much pressure on educational leadership to engage with these issues since the UN released international human rights legislation on sexual orientation and gender identity that have implications for student rights. The book presents statistically significant correlations between specific types of state and school level education policies that explicitly named homophobia/ GLBTIQ student issues, and lowered incidence of homophobic bullying, lowered risk of suicide and self-harm for these students. It includes stories from policy makers on how the policies came to be (through lawsuits, ministerial inquiries and political activism), right through to the stories of students themselves and how they individually felt the impacts of policies or policy lacks. International contexts of homophobic and transphobic bullying are discussed, as well as recent transnational work in this field. The book considers the different types of collaborations that can lead to further policy development, the transferability of the research and some of the benefits and problems with transnational policy adoptions.

This book aims to make a contribution to the theory, research and practice on quality and equity in education by providing a comprehensive overview of these two dimensions of educational effectiveness and proposing a methodological instrument that may be used to measure the contribution that each school can make to promoting equity. The importance of using this instrument is demonstrated by analysing results of various effectiveness studies conducted over the last decade. The book draws upon research across the world, especially research conducted in the Europe, the United States, and Australasia. It is shown that promoting equity has no negative effect on the promotion of quality. The importance of using this methodological instrument to identify factors that promote both quality and equity at different educational levels (i.e. teacher, school and educational system) is stressed. The book also demonstrates how we can measure stability and changes in the effectiveness status of schools over time in terms of fostering quality and equity. In addition it underlines the importance of identifying factors measuring changes in the effectiveness status of schools in terms of equity and points to the alternative strategies that can be used at school and system level. In our attempt to encourage the further development and use of this methodology for school improvement purposes, we demonstrate how experimental studies can be conducted to discover whether and under which conditions the proposed methodology can help schools promote both quality and equity. Finally, implications for school evaluation, research, educational policy and practice are drawn. In this way, the book contributes significantly to the debate on how quality and equity can be achieved and encourages policy-makers and practitioners not to view these two dimensions of effectiveness as being in competition with each other but as constituting the major objectives of any reform policy and/or improvement effortat school and/or national levels.

This book examines immigrant student achievement and education policy across a range of Western nations. It is divided into 3 sections: Part 1 introduces the topic of immigrant student achievement and the performance disadvantage that is consistently reported across a range of international jurisdictions. Part 2 then presents national profiles from scholars in ten countries (England, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). These educational jurisdictions were selected because they represent a range of Western nations engaged in large-scale reform efforts geared towards enhancing their immigrant students’ achievement. Each of the national profiles provides a brief overview of the evolution of the cultural composition of their respective school-aged student population; explains the trajectory of achievement results in non-immigrant and immigrant student groups in relation to both national and international large-scale assessment measures; and discusses the effectiveness of policy responses that have been adopted to close the achievement gap between non-immigrant and immigrant student populations. It also examines the relationships between education policies and immigrant student achievement and discusses how education policies have evolved across various cultural contexts. In conclusion, Part 3 analyzes cross-cultural approaches designed to address the performance disadvantage of immigrant students and proposes future areas of inquiry stemming from the national profiles.  The book offers insights into a diverse cross-section of nations and policy approaches to addressing the performance disadvantage.

This book analyses accountability and quality policies relating to learning standards and examines their implications for assessment in higher education. Whilst primarily focusing on the Australian setting, this analysis is located within a broader frame of reference that includes the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (US), and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Across these settings, comparative measures of learning have been seen as a policy ‘solution’ to the problem of ‘proving quality’ in a globalised and increasingly competitive higher education market. Comparative measures of learning depend on the specification of learning standards. Learning standards attempt to articulate the capabilities expected of graduates, and students’ achievement of these is determined through the practices of assessment carried out within institutions. Quality policy, learning standards and assessment practices all intersect within the broader umbrella ofaccountability, with relevance to governments, higher education providers, employers, parents, and students. The findings reported in this book highlight a number of policy influences, including the rising demands for national and international comparative data on learning standards to compare quality and inform student choice in a globally competitive market.

This book aims to make a contribution to the theory, research and practice on quality and equity in education by providing a comprehensive overview of these two dimensions of educational effectiveness and proposing a methodological instrument that may be used to measure the contribution that each school can make to promoting equity. The importance of using this instrument is demonstrated by analysing results of various effectiveness studies conducted over the last decade. The book draws upon research across the world, especially research conducted in the Europe, the United States, and Australasia. It is shown that promoting equity has no negative effect on the promotion of quality. The importance of using this methodological instrument to identify factors that promote both quality and equity at different educational levels (i.e. teacher, school and educational system) is stressed. The book also demonstrates how we can measure stability and changes in the effectiveness status of schools over time in terms of fostering quality and equity. In addition it underlines the importance of identifying factors measuring changes in the effectiveness status of schools in terms of equity and points to the alternative strategies that can be used at school and system level. In our attempt to encourage the further development and use of this methodology for school improvement purposes, we demonstrate how experimental studies can be conducted to discover whether and under which conditions the proposed methodology can help schools promote both quality and equity. Finally, implications for school evaluation, research, educational policy and practice are drawn. In this way, the book contributes significantly to the debate on how quality and equity can be achieved and encourages policy-makers and practitioners not to view these two dimensions of effectiveness as being in competition with each other but as constituting the major objectives of any reform policy and/or improvement effortat school and/or national levels.

This edited volume focuses on how international education policy, set by international policymakers and donors, influences local education policy in developing countries. The book’s primary purpose is to give voice to scholars from developing countries and regions around the world by inviting them to explore how the international policy, invariably linked to international aid, influences education policy formation and implementation in their country or region and how this influence does or does not meet the local cultural, social, economic, and political needs. A relatively recent and small body of research and commentary supports a discourse that questions how well international education policy mandates such as Education For All serve the needs of developing countries. The intent of this book is to advance this discourse by giving voice to local scholars who observe and study the donor process.The book will be divided into two sections: the first section will set the stage for the discussions in the second section by providing theoretical and historical context for international education policy. As a framework for understanding, the book adopts the position that international policy does not have either the ability or the intent to serve the widely diverse needs of development around the world. International education policy has been formed, historically, by wealthy nations and agencies dominated by Western  theoretical paradigms. In recent years, donor countries have made an effort to collaborate with developing countries in developing international education policy goals; however, this collaboration has been limited. Following establishment of the context of international education policy, section II of the book provides a forum for scholars from around the world to openly discuss and critique the impact of international policy on education in their country or region.

This book presents a detailed analysis of the educational model in Nordic European countries. It describes the traditional idea of education for all, which can be characterized by the right for every child to have an education of equal quality in a common school for all pupils regardless of social class, abilities, gender, or ethnicity.  Against this background, The Nordic Education Model traces the rise of neo-liberal policies that have been enacted by those who believe the School for All ideology does not produce the knowledge and skills that students need to succeed in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace. It examines the conflict between these two ideas and shows how neo-liberal technologies affect the Nordic model in different ways.The authors also show how social technologies are being interpreted in different ways in actual school practices. This process of translating national regulations into internal sense builds on the values in the culture to which they are introduced. In the end, this book reveals that a Nordic model can constitute a delicate balance between traditional values, institutionalized practices, and contemporary, neo-liberal forms of governance and policies. It may be argued from a new institutional perspective that the main structures of the Nordic educational model will sustain as long as the deeply rooted Nordic culture survives in the globalised society.

This book presents a detailed analysis of the educational model in Nordic European countries. It describes the traditional idea of education for all, which can be characterized by the right for every child to have an education of equal quality in a common school for all pupils regardless of social class, abilities, gender, or ethnicity.  Against this background, The Nordic Education Model traces the rise of neo-liberal policies that have been enacted by those who believe the School for All ideology does not produce the knowledge and skills that students need to succeed in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace. It examines the conflict between these two ideas and shows how neo-liberal technologies affect the Nordic model in different ways.The authors also show how social technologies are being interpreted in different ways in actual school practices. This process of translating national regulations into internal sense builds on the values in the culture to which they are introduced. In the end, this book reveals that a Nordic model can constitute a delicate balance between traditional values, institutionalized practices, and contemporary, neo-liberal forms of governance and policies. It may be argued from a new institutional perspective that the main structures of the Nordic educational model will sustain as long as the deeply rooted Nordic culture survives in the globalised society.