Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1578861462 ISBN 13: 9781578861460

Publisher: R&L Education, 2004

Synopsis

In Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform, Rotberg brings together examples of current education reforms in sixteen countries, written by "insiders". This book goes beyond myths and stereotypes and describes the difficult trade-offs countries make as they attempt to implement reforms in the context of societal and global change. In some countries, reforms are a response to major political or economic shifts; in others, they are motivated by large upsurges in immigration and increased student diversity. Irrespective of the reasons for education reform, all countries face decisions about resource allocation, equality of educational opportunity across diverse populations, access to higher education, student testing and tracking, teacher accountability, school choice, and innovation.

The essays in this volume reveal:
·the policy choices about the school reforms made by countries throughout the world
·the consequences associated with these choices
·the role that societal values, historical antecedents, and political structures play in facilitating or constraining reform

Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform is an invaluable resource for policymakers, faculty, students, and anyone interested in how decisions made about the education system ultimately affect the quality of education, educational access, and social justice.

About this title

About the Author

Iris C. Rotberg, editor, is research professor of education policy at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. After beginning her career as a research psychologist, she entered the field of public policy research, holding positions with the National Science Foundation, RAND, the National Institute of Education, and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Her research reports, articles, and commentaries address issues of school reform, testing and accountability, international education, science education, and federal policy for financing education. She has conducted research for the U.S. Congress on policy options for improving the education of low-income students, technology and human resources, and the outcomes of federal education programs. Her articles and commentaries appear in such publications as Science, Brookings Papers on Education Policy, Phi Delta Kappan, The Bridge, Harvard Educational Review, The Washington Post, and Education Week.

Review

The book is, in essence, a world tour of public education in the early 21st century. For every teaching and learning issue that divides this country, the book shows that several other countries are having the same argument. For every cry of despair at the assorted failures of American schools, Rotberg introduces a host of nations—including some that American critics admire—who are hearing the same complaints about their education systems from their own experts. (Jay Mathews The Washington Post )

?the chapters are...lucid, accessible, and insightful, and the concluding chapter is a thoughtful synthesis of the themes that weave throughout the book....Rotberg gets the editing business right; as a result, education policy makers, scholars, and practitioners interested in comparative education reform will find the book's sum is greater than the individual parts.... I recommend the book because the individual case studies are informative. Reading Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform is like being on an interesting, sixteen stop, world study tour. I also recommend the book because Rotberg carefully and thoughtfully pieced together the concluding chapter. Readers who read the book from beginning to end will still be processingthe sixteen stories and the wide-ranging content as they begin the final chapter. By identifying the themes that weave throughout the chapters, Rotberg helps the reader make sense of this worldwide intellectual journey. ... Rotberg does more than identifythe themes; she illuminates them by constantly referencing the most essential points made by the individual contributors. What results is a theme, example, example, theme, example, example rhythm that provides readers with a thoughtful, manageable, and m (Ron Byrnes Teachers College Record )

...the chapters are...lucid, accessible, and insightful, and the concluding chapter is a thoughtful synthesis of the themes that weave throughout the book....Rotberg gets the editing business right; as a result, education policy makers, scholars, and practitioners interested in comparative education reform will find the book's sum is greater than the individual parts.... I recommend the book because the individual case studies are informative. Reading Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform is like being on an interesting, sixteen stop, world study tour. I also recommend the book because Rotberg carefully and thoughtfully pieced together the concluding chapter. Readers who read the book from beginning to end will still be processing the sixteen stories and the wide-ranging content as they begin the final chapter. By identifying the themes that weave throughout the chapters, Rotberg helps the reader make sense of this worldwide intellectual journey. ... Rotberg does more than identify the themes; she illuminates them by constantly referencing the most essential points made by the individual contributors. What results is a theme, example, example, theme, example, example rhythm that provides readers with a thoughtful, manageable, and memorable conceptual framework that should enable them to draw upon the work in their own professional activities. (Ron Byrnes Teachers College Record )

About this edition

• Publisher: R&L Education
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1578861462
• ISBN 13: 9781578861460
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 448
• Editor: Rotberg Iris C.