Providing for the Priceless Student: Ideologies of Choice in an Emerging Educational Market

The growing popularity of school choice is typically linked to the spread of neoliberal ideology. Identifying four components of this ideology, we examine the rationales of providers in an emerging private school market. Data come from interviews and site visits at 45 “third-sector” private schools in Toronto, Canada. We find that only one of the four components has a strong resonance among these educators. Few private school operators sharply criticize public schools, compete via quantitative performance indicators, or are strongly business oriented. However, they voice a philosophy of matching their personal talents to the needs of “unique” children. Overall, rather than being influenced by neoliberalism, these providers are more directly driven by personalized rationales that prize tailored education in specialized niches. We draw two conclusions from these findings. First, they demonstrate how ideologies of choice are shaped by their market setting, in this case, small proprietorship, in contrast to a corporate environment. Second, they highlight how providers can be motivated by new cultures of consumerism and intensive child rearing when working in highly uncertain conditions. We recommend that theories of choice recognize the range of educational markets and the specific motives of their providers

The New Entrepreneurship in Higher Education: The Impact of Tuition Increases at an Ontario University

Recent increases in university tuition fees are part of a new entrepre- neurial trend in higher education in which institutions are expected to generate more of their own revenue. We examine the effects of this trend on access to universities for students of lower socioeconomic origins, and identify a series of cross cutting pressures. On the one hand, tuition fees pose an obvious financial barrier for these students, whom researchers have shown to be relatively cost-sensitive and debt-averse. On the other hand, the demand for university education among youth from all backgrounds remains buoyant, and student cultures may be increasingly resigned to accepting large debts to finance their schooling. We then examine empirical evidence from two surveys from the University of Guelph, along with some supplementary sources. We find that the representation of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds fell substantially during a decade of rising tuition costs. In discussing this finding, we link the phenomena of higher and de-regulated tuition to the new entrepreneurship, and argue that it has the potential to increasingly stratify Canadian higher education.Les augmentations récentes des frais de scolarité à l'université font partie d'une tendance à un «nouvel entrepreneurship» dans l'enseignement supérieur, tendance à l'intérieur de laquelle on s'attend à ce que les institutions génèrent leurs propres revenus. Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons aux effets de cette orientation sur l'accès aux universités des étudiants d'origine socioéconomique modeste et constatons une série de tendances opposées aux coupures. D'une part, les frais de scolarité créent une barrière financière évidente pour ces étudiants qui, selon les démonstrations des chercheurs, sont relativement sensibles à l'évolution des coûts et opposés à l'endettement. D'autre part, la demande d'un niveau universitaire d'éducation demeure soutenue chez les jeunes de toutes les provenances, et les cultures étudiantes peuvent se résigner de plus en plus à accepter de grosses dettes pour financer leurs études. Nous examinons ensuite les preuves empiriques provenant de deux enquêtes de l'Université de Guelph qui confirment nos prétentions, de même que quelques autres sources. Nous constatons que la représentation des étudiants venant des milieux socioéconomiques modestes a considérablement diminué durant cette décennie des coûts croissants des frais de scolarité. Dans la discussion de ces résultats, nous associons ce phénomène de frais de scolarité plus élevés et déréglés au nouvel entrepreneurship académique, et soutenons qu'il possède un potentiel de clivage de plus en plus grand en enseignement supérieur canadien

Innovation in Educational Markets: An Organizational Analysis of Private Schools in Toronto

This study examines whether new private schools are innovative, drawing on theories of markets and institutions. Choice advocates claim that markets spark innovation, while institutional theory suggests that isomorphic forces will limit novel school forms. Using qualitative data form third sector private schools in Toronto, three hypotheses about the impact of markets on educational organization are examined: (a) they reverse tendencies toward isomorphism as schools develop client niches; (b) they allow schools to weaken their formal structures; and (c) they force schools to more closely monitor their effectiveness. Substantial evidence exists for the first hypothesis, partial evidence for the second hypothesis, but little evidence for the third. Overall, new private schools are characterized by: small classes, unique pedagogical themes, personalized treatment of clients, and some pragmatic responses to limited resources. Their operators sometimes feel restricted by parental demand, but are able to retain a loosely coupled structure by embracing consumerist understanding of accountability. This essay concludes with a discussion if implications for market theory

Outcomes of interventions in neonatal sepsis:A systematic review of qualitative research

BackgroundWhile a systematic review exists detailing neonatal sepsis outcomes from clinical trials, there remains an absence of a qualitative systematic review capturing the perspectives of key stakeholders.ObjectivesOur aim is to identify outcomes from qualitative research on any intervention to prevent or improve the outcomes of neonatal sepsis that are important to parents, other family members, healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers as a part of the development of a core outcome set (COS) for neonatal sepsis.Search StrategyA literature search was carried out using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases.Selection CriteriaPublications describing qualitative data relating to neonatal sepsis outcomes were included.Data Collection and AnalysisDrawing on the concepts of thematic synthesis, texts related to outcomes were coded and grouped. These outcomes were then mapped to the domain headings of an existing model.Main ResultsOut of 6777 records screened, six studies were included. Overall, 19 outcomes were extracted from the included studies. The most frequently reported outcomes were those in the domains related to parents, healthcare workers and individual organ systemas such as gastrointestinal system. The remaining outcomes were classified under the headings of general outcomes, miscellaneous outcomes, survival, and infection.ConclusionsThe outcomes identified in this review are different from those reported in neonatal sepsis clinical trials, thus highlighting the importance of incorporating qualitative studies into COS development to encapsulate all relevant stakeholders' perspectives.This study reviews outcomes considered important in neonatal sepsis by stakeholders such as parents and healthcare providers, aiding in developing a core outcome set (COS)

COHESION: a core outcome set for the treatment of neonatal encephalopathy

BACKGROUND: Heterogeneity in outcomes reported in trials of interventions for the treatment of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) makes evaluating the effectiveness of treatments difficult. Developing a core outcome set for NE treatment would enable researchers to measure and report the same outcomes in future trials. This would minimise waste, ensure relevant outcomes are measured and enable evidence synthesis. Therefore, we aimed to develop a core outcome set for treating NE.METHODS: Outcomes identified from a systematic review of the literature and interviews with parents were prioritised by stakeholders (n = 99 parents/caregivers, n = 101 healthcare providers, and n = 22 researchers/ academics) in online Delphi surveys. Agreement on the outcomes was achieved at online consensus meetings attended by n = 10 parents, n = 18 healthcare providers, and n = 13 researchers/ academics.RESULTS: Seven outcomes were included in the final core outcome set: survival; brain injury on imaging; neurological status at discharge; cerebral palsy; general cognitive ability; quality of life of the child, and adverse events related to treatment.CONCLUSION: We developed a core outcome set for the treatment of NE. This will allow future trials to measure and report the same outcomes and ensure results can be compared. Future work should identify how best to measure the COS