Halting the Race to the Bottom: Urgent Interventions for the Improvement of the Education of English Language Learners in Massachusetts and Selected Districts

Massachusetts students of limited English proficiency do better academically than students of limited English proficiency in other states. But relative to other students in the state, students of limited English proficiency in Massachusetts face a disadvantage greater than that faced by their peers in most states. This suggests that while the overall higher levels of education in the state benefit LEPs in Massachusetts relative to LEPs who attend schools in states where the quality of education is lower, current policy and practice leads to significantly greater inequality in this state. As the state takes steps to improve performance for all students in Massachusetts, and particularly those in low performing schools, a clear vision and decisive leadership in addressing this gap is essential

The Gambia\u27s Training Manual on Multi-Grade Teaching

This training guide—and its companion; The Gambia’s Handbook on Multi-Grade Teaching—went through a process of development that was uniquely participatory and highly interactive. It was developed under the leadership of project LIRE and the Technical Working Group in The Gambia (TWG). This manual was further enriched with inputs and contributions from education officials and teachers involved in the LIRE multi-grade program. TWG members were drawn from key stakeholders from within and outside the Ministry of Education. Members are seasoned curriculum developers and planners with years of experience in curriculum and materials development

The Gambia\u27s Teachers\u27 Handbook on Multi-Grade Teaching

This handbook is designed to be used as a continual resource for the multi-grade teacher. The multi-grade teacher can refer to it at any specific point in time to learn ways and methods of applying certain skills or techniques and to gain knowledge on a particular topic. For example, a teacher planning a lesson could refer to it for specific guidance on how to do so using the samples in this guide. It gives information on how to adapt the syllabus, organize schemes of work, among others. The handbook also provides examples that the teacher can use and reflection points at the end of each unit. Some units in this guide have examples created by multi-grade teachers who were traomed at the time the handbook was created

Parity and prestige in English secondary education revisited

Olive Banks' work Parity and Prestige in English Secondary Education made a major and distinctive contribution to the literature on the historical development of secondary education. Her work exemplified a close relationship between sociology and history, examined a vital and enduring theme that continues to be relevant and pervasive, helped to demonstrate the social dimensions of the determinants of secondary education, and raised a significant set of issues in relation to the role of the interconnections between education and occupational groups

General Senior Secondary Education Financing in Indonesia

This report examines the policy options and financial implications of the expansion of senior secondary education in Indonesia. The government wishes to increase the gross enrolment rate from 70% to 85% by 2014 and aims for universal 12-year education by 2019. The approach adopted has been to: analyse current costs and funding arrangements through fieldwork and a review of secondary sources; consider the financing implications of achieving a set of minimum standards; review the current government funding provision; and examine a range of policy options for the expansion of senior secondary enrolments. The current funding of government senior secondary education is complex and varies throughout the country. It involves different levels of government providing financial support for infrastructure, salaries and operational costs. A common feature of the senior secondary sub-sector is its dependence on parental contributions. This has implications for school quality and for equity. The government's policy of designating some schools as 'international standard secondary schools' (RSBI) has inadvertently adversely affected equity.The study found considerable variation in the levels of cost and the amounts of available revenue among state senior secondary schools (SMA), with the RSBI being far better resourced than the rest. Salaries of government service teachers (PNS) are the responsibility of government. Those of teachers without PNS status, who are numerous in some schools, have to be paid for from other sources and almost invariably these costs fall on parents. The burden on parents comes in various forms. There are direct charges for fees and registration books and uniforms and there are indirect costs of transport and meals. There are also high opportunity costs of sending children to senior secondary school to set against the perceived returns of this level of schooling