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Full-Text Articles in Education
“State Standards In The Local Context: A Survey Of School Board Members And Superintendents”, Abe Feuerstein, Jonathan Dietrich
“State Standards In The Local Context: A Survey Of School Board Members And Superintendents”, Abe Feuerstein, Jonathan Dietrich
Abe Feuerstein
This study examines the perceptions of superintendents and school board members inPennsylvania with regard to state academic standards and standardized tests. From a universe of 501 Pennsylvania districts, we selected a sample of 51 districts (approximately 10%) at random. We sent surveys to superintendents, school board chairpersons, and three additional school board members from each district. Thirty-one of the 51 superintendents completed surveys for a 61% rate of return. For school board members, 76 of the 204 surveyed completed surveys for a 37% rate of return. Results of the survey show that although superintendents and school board members view standards …
“What Pragmatism Can Offer Educational Reform Debates: Method, Means, And Motive”, Abe Feuerstein, Sue Ellen Henry
“What Pragmatism Can Offer Educational Reform Debates: Method, Means, And Motive”, Abe Feuerstein, Sue Ellen Henry
Abe Feuerstein
This paper advocates for reframing educational reform through the philosophical lens of pragmatism. After reviewing the problems that arise from the three dominant paradigms of school change suggested by Hord's 1992 review of the literature, we propose seven criteria for pragmatic thinking that can be useful in crafting reform efforts. Following the application of these criteria to a short case study of a failed educational reform in an urban school, the paper concludes with discussion of the benefits of pragmatism as a philosophical foundation for educational reform.