Education & Pedagogy

Inclusive education policies constitute the contemporary legislative response to the education of disabled children. They can be viewed as the antidote to the historical imperatives of special education thinking, which were responsible for the disparagement and exclusion of disabled children. However, despite the extolling rhetorical proclamations that enthuse this ecumenical legislative shift, inclusive education policies can be characterized as "hybrid legislative documents", in the sense that they attempt to fuse antithetical discourses in inconspicuous, yet destructive ways. In order to understand inclusive education policies and their hybrid nature, we should place them within a socio-historical context and scrutinize the context-specific forces that impact on their formulation and implementation. Defining as a spatial and chronological context the island of Cyprus in the outset of the twenty-first century, the current paper aims to provide the socio-historical and political backcloth against which the hybrid and contentious nature of inclusive education policies emerge and are reified. In particular, it will explore the following questions: what have been the major legislative reforms regarding special education? What were the historical, political and cultural factors that accounted for these changes? What is the current situation in relation to integration and inclusion ordinary in schools in Cyprus?

This article uses a series of interlinked, personal vignettes to discuss the first three years of the North American Association for Environmental Education research symposium, from the perspectives of the key organizers. Seven challenges in the field of environmental education research are identified in a recent historical context, and we illustrate how the symposium sought to address them. The challenges were, that: (i) environmental education research has been marginalized in some areas and not recognized in others; (ii) environmental education research and environmental education practice need to be brought closer together; (iii) environmental education research is still in early development of a professional perspective; (iv) environmental education research has to give a voice to early career scholars and graduate students; (v) environmental education research needs to enable discourse about both process and outcomes; (vi) environmental education researchers need social learning contexts to help develop professional identities and create more meaningful dialogue to address these challenges; and (vii) methodologies, theoretical frameworks and differences in beliefs in environmental education research need to be accommodated. The last challenge is seen as the most significant with which to continue to engage, in developing open, inclusive forums for researchers of environmental education. (Contains 2 notes.)

Background/Context: This article explores sustainability as an emerging paradigm for preservice preparation of teachers. Sustainability education, which is rooted in Deweyan ideas about the fundamental social purposes of schooling, attends to the tensions created by the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, and social equity systems. Sustainability education extends but does not replace environmental education or education for sustainable development, although the latter is considered a problematic idea. Purpose/Focus of Study: Nine themes that occur frequently in the sustainability discourse are explored as the basis for sustainability literacy, a complex construct validated through collection of multiple sources of evidence. Specific strategies for integrating sustainability education into the preservice preparation of teachers are linked to a framework for teacher learning that addresses curricular vision, understandings about teaching, dispositions, and professional practices. Research Design: The article is an analytic essay that examines existing literature in the area of sustainability education and maps this work onto current research pertaining to the preparation of beginning teachers. Conclusions: Sustainability education represents a new paradigm for the preparation of teachers. It can help new teachers develop a curricular vision that addresses the fundamental social purposes of education in the context of an uncertain 21st century. Sustainability education also can stimulate a conversation about the role of teacher education in the creation and solution of global environmental and social justice challenges.

This landscape study explored structural barriers to diversity in computing education by focusing on Computer Science Education State Supervisors (CSEdSS) in state education agencies. Positioned in 41 states, CSEdSS play a crucial role in ensuring equitable access to K-12 CS learning pathways. Despite efforts to expand CS education policy, equity issues in access persist. Based on a survey of CSEdSS (n=32) with a 78% response rate, we applied the Capacity for, Access to, Participation in, and Experience of (CAPE) Framework to analyze CSEdSS survey responses to questions about how they enact their role and the ways in which equity in CS education impacts their work. Findings revealed that CSEdSS leveraged the opportunities available to them to build capacity and advance equitable access to CS education across diverse state contexts, even as they navigated systems that present challenges to equitable implementation. The results highlighted the importance of using a critical analysis approach to interrogate policy enactment through a sociocultural and systems-based lens, addressing the complexities of implementing CS education policies at macrosystem, mesosystem, and microsystem levels to support inclusive and equitable pathways in CS education.

The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness of educational leaders on global, regional and national inclusive education legal frameworks that guide the implementation of inclusive education in inclusive schools (resource centers) of Addis Ababa. A qualitative approach with a case study design was used. Data were collected through interviews of research participants and review of current available inclusive education documents. Fifteen educational leaders from the Ministry of Education, school principals, teachers and itinerant teachers participated in the study. The participants were asked about their awareness of global, regional and national inclusive education legal frameworks. The findings showed that the participants perceived favorable policy and legal environments for adopting inclusive education. However, educational leaders administrating inclusive education have varying levels of awareness and understanding of the legal frameworks. Leaders at the Ministry of Education and itinerant teachers had relatively better awareness than school principals and teachers about the legal frameworks. That could be attributed to the educational qualifications and training of the itinerant teachers and the Ministry of Education experts. Therefore, professional development for increasing the awareness of the principals and the teachers on inclusive education policies is needed because their awareness determines the successful implementation of inclusive education.

K-12 computer science (CS) education has emerged as a vital component of modern education, nurturing computational thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy. This study examines the K-12 CS education dynamics, emphasizing its impact and implications, particularly in the context of equity. Twitter data from 2017 to 2021 were collected, focusing on English-language tweets within the United States. This collection was completed before Elon Musk's acquisition of the company and its subsequent rebranding to X. Three keyword sets span CS education, computational thinking -- a core competency of CS learners and CS education organizations and conferences. The findings indicate: (1) a significant decrease in tweet volumes for each set of keywords after 2019, (2) the critical role of coding within a broader STEM education framework, and (3) the centrality of students in semantic networks formed by the tweets, highlighting the pertinence of a student-centered learning strategy in K-12 CS education. To ensure equitable access and opportunities, K-12 CS education in a broader STEM ecosystem should adopt student-centered learning, with teachers facilitating coding, programming, and technology education. These insights inform educators, policymakers, and researchers about K-12 CS education's significance in preparing students for the future, with a strong emphasis on equity and inclusion.

In the United States, sex education is more than just an uncomfortable rite of passage: it's a political hobby horse that is increasingly out of touch with young people's needs. In "Touchy Subject," philosopher Lauren Bialystok and historian Lisa M. F. Andersen unpack debates over sex education, explaining why it's worth fighting for, what points of consensus we can build upon, and what sort of sex education schools should pursue in the future. Andersen surveys the history of school-based sex education in the United States, describing the key question driving reform in each era. In turn, Bialystok analyzes the controversies over sex education to make sense of the arguments and offer advice about how to make educational choices today. Together, Bialystok and Andersen argue for a novel framework, Democratic Humanistic Sexuality Education, which exceeds the current conception of "comprehensive sex education" while making room for contextual variation. More than giving an honest run-down of the birds and the bees, sex education should respond to the features of young people's evolving worlds, especially the digital world, and the inequities that put some students at much higher risk of sexual harm than others. Throughout the book, the authors show how sex education has progressed and how the very concept of "progress" remains contestable.

In a world of ever-changing educational trends, it is essential for educators to provide a continuum of services to meet the needs of all students. Therefore, employing an inclusive structure or environment is imperative to the implementation of Special Education laws, according to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Every Student Succeeds Act. As stipulated in law, all students should be educated in the least restrictive environment with their typically developing peers. This chapter focuses on the role of the special education professional as it specifically relates to the mainstream or inclusion setting. Topics covered in this chapter include an overview of inclusion, the inclusion model, an in-class support model, a content mastery model, and characteristics of an effective special educator, understanding disabilities, assessing and referring to appropriate supports, collecting data for individualized education program meetings, differentiated instruction, and strategies for inclusion. The goal of the chapter is to provide the overall view of inclusion in today's classrooms in relation to the role of the special education teacher. [For the complete volume, "General and Special Education Inclusion in an Age of Change: Roles of Professionals Involved. Advances in Special Education. Volume 3," see ED605014.]

The Review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training, led by an expert Panel, has provided the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Education Council with advice and recommendations on how senior secondary students can be better supported to choose the pathway into work, further education and/or training that is right for them. The Review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training developed from a recommendation in "Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools." The review panel met with experts from around the country on the challenges facing senior secondary education, collective topics included: (1) essential skills; (2) exercising informed choice; (3) vocational education and training (VET) and the world of work; (4) building school-industry partnerships; (5) building more flexible pathways from school; (6) ensuring all students have an equal chance of success; and (7) creating evidenced-based policy. [The Review Panel included: Peter Shergold, Tom Calma, Sarina Russo, Patrea Walton, Jennifer Westacott, Don Zoellner, and Patrick O'Reilly. For "Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools," see ED586130.]

Expanding pathways from high school to higher education is essential for Colorado to reach its goals of increasing college completion rates, erasing attainment gaps and increasing high school student engagement. Colorado, like other states across the country, utilizes dual enrollment as a strategy to cultivate seamless P-20 pathways and increase credential completion. Dual enrollment programs provide high school students with the opportunity to enroll in college-level courses, simultaneously earning both high school and college credit, often at greatly reduced costs. These programs help students develop the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to be postsecondary education- and workforce-ready. Research indicates that dual enrollment students are more likely to enroll and persist in college and are less likely to need remedial education once in college. The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) have prepared this report pursuant to statute (C.R.S. §22-35-112). The data, collected through the CDHE Student Unit Record Data System (SURDS) unless noted otherwise, provide a descriptive summary of students in Colorado's public education system who participated in dual enrollment programs in the 2017-2018 Academic Year.

"Towards Rational Education" explores how education can become rational by serving character building, rational thinking and the common good. It uses evidence-based psychology, philosophy, sociology and political science to support transforming education and provides a brand-new framework for effective universal education. This book endorses Rational-Emotive Behavior Theory (REBT) and rational education philosophy theories as main vehicles paving a viable set of rational education values and practices. Collective wisdom, rational living, freedom, mental health, altruism, solidarity, equality and fraternity are seen as the foundational values for shaping already existing schools of the world become more rational and in establishing Rational Education Communities (REC) and Rational Schools (RS). Calling for a philosophical and socio-political shift in education values and practices, the book cites principles, tools and practices that rational educators, philosophers, psychologists, other related scientists-practitioners and people have offered us as a legacy for building a more rational and positive education for all people universally, without sacrificing cultural sensitivity and expressivity. This book will be of great interest for the general audience and a special interest for academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of the philosophy of education, positive psychology, educational psychology and educational policy.

Colorado, like other states across the country, utilizes dual enrollment as a strategy to cultivate seamless P-20 pathways and increase credential completion. Dual enrollment programs provide high school students with the opportunity to enroll in college-level courses, simultaneously earning both high school and college credit, often at greatly reduced costs. Local Education Providers (LEPs) participating in the state's Concurrent Enrollment program typically cover the student's tuition expenses up to the resident community college tuition rate. These programs help students develop the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to be postsecondary education- and workforce-ready. Research indicates that Concurrent Enrollment students are more likely to enroll and persist in college and are less likely to need remedial education once in college. Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and Colorado Department of Education (CDE) have prepared this report pursuant to statute (C.R.S. §22-35-112). The data, collected through the CDHE Student Unit Record Data System (SURDS) unless noted otherwise, provide a descriptive summary of students in Colorado's public education system who participated in dual enrollment programs in the 2018-2019 school year. [For the previous year's report, see ED597821.]

The purpose of this document is to provide operators with implementation and operational technical assistance related to special education in charter schools. Special education is a very complicated component of public education and providing operators with technical assistance regarding special education is particularly challenging. This primer opens with a general background on legal issues and responsibility for special education in charter schools. It is not intended to be a complete treatment of special education law or classroom practice. In fact, due to the legal foundation upon which special education is built; operators are strongly urged to consult an attorney and experienced special education professionals to assist in the development and implementation of the charter school. This primer includes the questions that should be asked about students with disabilities at each life stage of a charter school. The answers to these questions and suggestions for where to go for more information are intended to provide assistance that is critical to successfully designing and implementing the special education component of a charter school. A glossary is appended. (Contains 9 footnotes.)

The Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (AEEGA) was introduced in the House of Representatives in June 2011 by Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15). The bill (H.R. 2226) would amend the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to encourage the use and availability of career pathways for low-skilled adults, strengthen the focus of adult education on postsecondary and career success, increase the number of adult education students receiving marketable postsecondary credentials, and modernize the adult education system to meet the needs of 21st century jobs. Although AEEGA could substantially improve WIA--particularly the Title II provisions that govern adult education--it could be strengthened by incorporating stronger provisions that promote better alignment between WIA Titles I and II, including a shared system of accountability. The AEEGA provides a framework for a new vision of adult education--one that better prepares adult students to access and succeed in postsecondary education, earn credentials that employers value, and obtain 21st century skills. Together with a comprehensive reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act, provisions in AEEGA could go a long way toward ensuring low-skilled adults can access the education and skills training they need to build careers in a changing economy. (Contains 2 footnotes.)

Traditional education has benefited millions of students--preparing them for college, jobs and careers--and it continues to do so. However, in recent years, there has been a growing trend of higher education institutions considering an alternative, competency-based education (CBE), to serve the needs of nontraditional or underserved adult students. CBE is self-paced and personalized. It provides flexible schedules and pathways to meet individual needs. The time necessary to complete a CBE program can be reduced as it takes prior learning, prior knowledge and a mastery of competencies into consideration, rather than seat time or the number of hours spent in class. This report on the Condition of Higher Education in Ohio addresses four questions surrounding competency-based education. The questions are: (1) What is competency-based education and why is it important? (2) Are Ohio's colleges and universities engaging in or planning to engage in CBE? (3) What are best practices for implementing competency-based education programs? and (4) What are the next steps for Ohio? Three appendices are included: (1) Ohio CBE Survey; (2) Competency-Based Education Design Planner (Provided by C-BEN); and (3) CBE Quality Standards (DRAFT VERSION) by C-BEN. [For the "8th Report on the Condition of Higher Education in Ohio," see ED572751.]