This qualitative case study examines the evolution of charter school policy in North Carolina. The study is theoretically grounded in Baumgartner and Jonesâ (1993) punctuated equilibrium theory. First, the study explores the evolution of charter school policy in North Carolina since the passage of charter school legislation in 1996. Second, it tests Lacireno-Paquet and Holyokeâs (2007) hypothesis of policy reversion following the enactment of dramatic new policies. The studyâs findings indicate that since the passage of charter school legislation, traditional public school interests in North Carolina, led by the North Carolina Association of Educators, have regained a position of dominance in education policy making. Traditional public school interestsâ access to Democratic legislators in the General Assembly has been instrumental in blocking amendments to charter school policy that would raise or remove the statewide cap of 100 charter schools. As such, the studyâs findings support Lacireno-Paquet and Holyokeâs hypothesis of policy reversion.

Eugenics has been variously described "as an ideal, as a doctrine, as a science (applied human genetics), as a set of practices (ranging from birth control to euthanasia), and as a social movement" (Paul 1998 p. 95). "Race suicide" (Roosevelt 1905) and the ensuing national phobia regarding the "children of worm eaten stock" (Bobbitt 1909) prefaced an era of eugenic ideology whose influence on education has been largely ignored until recently. Using the concept of collective memory, I examine the eugenics movement, its progressive context, and its influence on the aims, policy and practice of education. Specifically, this study examines the ideology of eugenics as a specific category and set of distinctions, and the role of rhetoric and collective memory in providing the mechanism whereby eugenic ideology has shaped and fashioned interpretation and action in current educational practice. The formation of education as a distinct academic discipline, the eugenics movement, and the Progressive era coalesced during the first decades of the twentieth century to form what has turned out to be a lasting alliance. This alliance has had a profound impact on public perception of the role of schools, how students are classified and sorted, degrees and definitions of intelligence, attitudes and beliefs surrounding multiculturalism and a host of heretofore unexplored ramifications. My research is primarily historical and theoretical and uses those material and media cultural artifacts generated by the eugenics movement to explore the relationship between eugenic ideology and the institution of education.

This case study investigates the social and political factors influencing House Bill 1183, a bill introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly in April 2005 to extend resident-tuition rates to undocumented students seeking a postsecondary education. The data indicates that House Bill 1183?s defeat was due to a combination of factors. These factors included social and economic concerns, changing demographics of the state and the time and context the bill was introduced, the media, and the public?s response. A combination of the other factors contributed and significantly influenced the context of the public?s response, which undoubtedly led to the defeat of the bill. Advocacy coalitions, to some extent, played an important role in this process, as the supporting organizations, were key in the conceptual development of the bill, and the opposing coalition, was actively involved in calling their constituents to action. However, these coalitions were not structured as the advocacy coalition framework would suggest. The bill?s defeat was not solely a result of the opposition?s efforts or any lack of planning or strategy on the part of supporters. Data suggest that the other factors primarily contributed to the bill?s defeat.

This is an educational leadership study based on the lives of five women who held the post of director or higher in a State Education Agency. While much has been written about women in school and district administration, less is known of women who fill the top posts in administration at the state level. This study examines five such women leaders? lives and careers in detail. The study is conducted from a feminist point of view, using a life history approach. The women who participated in this study shared stories of their childhood and upbringing; they described their early schooling experiences, and they talked about the significant relationships in their lives. They spoke of obstacles and opportunities, and of pivotal events that shaped them. The research resonates with their voices and focuses on the role of gender, diversity and gender equity in educational leadership. Findings reveal the values, perspectives, goals, and behaviors of a group of women who range in age from 45 to 60. The study explores their early perceptions of gender, race and class, and how each influenced their lives and careers. Each woman provides her input in defining a feminine leadership style. The study concludes with a discussion of post-heroic leadership, feminization of an organization, and a leadership primer for girls and boys and their parents, based on the findings from the life history research.

Identity is not a universally fixed term (Butler, 1990, p. 7); rather, it is complex construction produced and reproduced along the axes of gender, race, class, sexuality, education, and cultural context (Gauntlett, 2002, p. 13). As such, identity hinges on a combination of acts, (Sedgwick, 1990), hierarchical social categories (Butler, 1999), culture (Kellner, 1995, 2003), history, difference, representation, social institutions, and stories that define and shape the self through recursive and self-reflexive processes. This research investigates the impact of media culture, body image, relationships, and fairy tales on the identity formation of four young women. Specifically, I concentrate on key cultural models provided through electronic media, visual media culture, and schooling to follow the ways in which these women construct and co-construct their identities over the course of several interviews. Using discourse analysis as the primary tool of inquiry, this study investigates specific details in speech to identify key patterns in language, to interrogate the socioculturally-situated identities produced, and to illuminate relevant cultural models and context in an effort to better understand the ways in which girling and the institution of school inform female identity formation.

The purpose of the research presented here is to identify which factors school level practitioners consider in deciding whether to retain or promote a student and to ascertain their knowledge of and training in retention research. This research illuminates the process of determining which students are promoted and which are retained, and the results will generate a theory that school administrators may use to establish policies and guidelines to assist promotionâretention committees in better serving students below grade level.

The Critical Analysis of the Trend of Education Researches from 1996 to 2001 in Taiwan Abstract In recent years, many reports and theses on domestic educational researches have been accomplished, giving many inerasable contributions to educational development and implementation. However, many questions remain unanswered and it is necessary to rethink and review the educational researches in order to provide a new perspective on Taiwan¡¦s educational researches. The thesis aims to analyze and compare 775 theses and doctoral dissertations submitted to 8 graduate schools of education¡Xin National Taiwan Normal University, National Kaohsiung Normal University, National Changhua Normal University, National Cheng Chi University, National Chung Cheng University, National Cheng Kung University, National Sun Yat-sen University, and National Dong Hwu University¡Xfrom 1996 to 2001 in order to understand the status quo and trend of Taiwan¡¦s educational researches. Through reflecting upon and searching into the educational researches in Taiwan, no matter it is in terms of the exploration of research subject matters and methods or in terms of the applicative analyses of educational paradigms, we can find enlightenment and discovery, which will enable us to speculate on the direction of educational research in the future. On the one hand, the thesis lets the reader learn from the past to contemplate the future and lets the future researchers glimpse into the essence and inclination of educational researches. On the other hand, the thesis, by means of exploring research methods and theoretical foundations, provides the researchers a more clarified and in-depth guidance to lead the researchers toward an uncharted path of educational research. The thesis uses content analysis as the major research method and comparative research as the supplementary method. The research tool is the self-complied ¡§registration table of the content analysis of the theses and dissertations for graduate schools of education in Taiwan¡¨ and the thesis uses such statistical analysis like frequency, percentage and £q2 test to process the collected materials. The findings of the thesis can be summarized as follows: 1. The subject matters usually fall into five major fields: ¡§Educational administration and policies,¡¨ ¡§Educational psychology and counseling,¡¨ ¡§Curriculum and teaching,¡¨ ¡§Educational sociology,¡¨ and ¡§Educational thoughts and history.¡¨ 2. The theoretical foundation is usually borrowed from foreign countries. 3. The research tools are generally self-made. 4. The research paradigm emphasize both the qualitative and quantitative researches. 5. The research method is usually questionnaire. 6. The research goal tends to emphasize applicative research. Based on preceding research discoveries, the thesis proposes the following suggestions for the educational research development in Taiwan: 1. Suggestions for the application of the research conclusion. a. We should encourage more researchers to explore other important yet less investigated subject matters in order to make up for the inadequacy of educational research. b. Every graduate school of education should develop its own characteristics c. We need a theoretical system of educational research, which can reflect the social and cultural contexts of Taiwan. d. We should encourage the application of research paradigms that emphasize both qualitative and quantitative analyses. e. We should stress theoretical exploration as well. f. We should build up a sound and fine data bank of educational researches. 2. Suggestions for subsequent researches a. Expansion of research subjects (1) Content analysis of theses from different disciplines (2) In-depth content analysis of one specific subject matter of educational research (3) Expansion of research topic to include literature related to educational research b. Adoption of multiply research methods c. Persistent and periodical researches of the development and tendency of the contents of the theses and dissertations submitted to the graduate schools of education in Taiwan. Key words: Educational research, research paradign

No description available.

Thesis (M. S.)--Oklahoma State University, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-30).

The following portfolio is representative of my own artistic practice that combines the role of artist, educator, peace worker and researcher into one entity. The works are drawn from a back catalogue of fifty plus collaborative arts projects that has engaged with individuals and communities in different locations over the past twenty years. These works have been delivered within formal and informal educational settings. While each piece can be read as an individual artwork – collectively they talk to common issues related to visual art practice, public pedagogy and conflict transformation. I have identified four consistent themes present in the work Social Justice, Human Rights, Development Education, Democratic Education, Inclusion and Identity. My practice can be described as a socially engaged art practice. However, while I pay close attention to the aesthetics and artistic impression of my work, I place a primary importance on education by asking a simple question which often provides a myriad of highly complex answers. I ask - What is being learned? I have worked with children, young people and others who live in the midst of socio-political conflict or in societies affected by underdevelopment. This combination of experiences has enabled me to forge a deep understanding of the role of identity politics in the construction of division and conflict. I have developed what I choose to call a problem posing1 visual arts pedagogy that serves to expose and undermine the conditions that sustain such divisions. My work has uncovered an implicit interconnectivity among art practices, critical pedagogy and the concepts and practices of conflict transformation. This combination coupled with my experience in the field of peace building, has enabled me to develop a unique pedagogical form that is responsive to the context and needs of specific communities. Through the following commentary I posit this pedagogy firmly within the general discourse of peace building. The portfolio presents new knowledge that aims to inform innovative approaches to the role of the visual arts in conflict transformation and ultimately lead toward 1 Problem posing – drawing on Paulo Freire (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed: a problem posing pedagogy offers opportunities for learner and teacher to build a relationship based on critical inquiry. ii embedding such processes in the field of peace building and international diplomacy.