"Many higher education institutions have managed only small and incremental steps on their journeys toward sustainability, confronted by both complexity and embedded resistance to change." (Tilbury and Wortman 2008, p. 5) Introduction As the assessment movement gains momentum, colleges, universities, and academic departments continue to seek help with the rudiments of the process and with ways to evaluate their specific programs (U.S. Department of Education 1993). In the United States, over 94 percent of higher education institutions have assessment activities underway (Palomba and Banta 1999). Many of these institutions struggle in "isolation with state accountability mandates, accrediting agency requirements, and internal concerns with declining student performance and the efficacy of the curriculum" (U.S. Department of Education 1993, [paragraph] 3). In response to this and the growing sophistication of assessment in general, the higher education community is now looking for guidance on models and best practices. The American Association for Higher Education and other resources offer a plethora of "how to" information that specifies the stakeholders, assessment rubrics, and critical components needed to establish an assessment process. However, there is limited information on how to establish a culture of assessment that will sustain itself beyond accreditation to continually assess how much students learn and to maintain a quality improvement approach across programs, schools, and institutions. Culture of Assessment A culture of assessment is defined as "an organizational environment in which decisions are based on facts, research, and analysis, and where services are planned and delivered in ways that maximize positive outcomes and impacts for customers and stakeholders" (Lakos and Phipps 2004, p. 352). A culture of assessment can guide meaningful change on a continual basis (Lakos and Phipps 2004; Smart and St. John 1996). Creating this culture requires continuous learning, strategic decision making, prioritization of the allocation of scarce resources, and organizational and individual accountability (Lakos and Phipps 2004). An institution with a culture of assessment agrees on what is organizationally meaningful and what practices are required to fulfill its goals (Schein 1999). As Cameron and Quinn (1999) note, the most commonly shared ingredient of successful organizations is their ability to pay attention to culture. Correspondingly, the success of an assessment system depends on using established principles grounded in organizational culture to govern its practices. Creating an effective assessment system at the school, college, or institutional level requires the articulation of a shared conceptual understanding, a common definition of assessment, and the clear expression of assessment expectations and the use of results (Bresciani 2005). This ensures that the environment is ready to establish an assessment culture that supports and sustains change (Hill 2005). The study presented in this article examines how institutions have established a culture of assessment and how the interplay among organizational practices affects that culture. Since the likelihood of overall institutional agreement and buy-in is rare, particularly initially, the article also discusses the challenges that institutions face when creating a culture of assessment. In addition, the article describes strategies that can be used to sustain a culture of assessment once it has been created, as well as how leadership can support this effort in terms of policy design and implementation. Theoretical Framework The assessment culture matrix, published by the Higher Learning Commission/NCA (2003), identifies three stages in developing an assessment culture: beginning, progress, and maturation. The matrix describes each stage of development in relation to seven factors that are pertinent to assessment systems across programs, colleges, and institutions: collective and shared values, mission, faculty, administration and board, students, resources, and structures. …

Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Assessment.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are two very important ingredients in the continuous economic growth of Singapore. This article describes and analyses how Singapore attempts to develop innovation and entrepreneurship through initiatives at the national level and at the universities and schools level. In particular, the article examines the recent moves in the system to highlight the underlying beliefs of the government in developing innovation and entrepreneurship and the strategies employed to do so. It also discusses the challenges ahead for Singapore in its quest.

The quest for innovation and entrepreneurship in Singapore: strategies and challenges

Recently China has been undergoing an unprecedented urbanisation process which has resulted in millions of rural families living in urban areas. As part of a study of Chinese migrant children's educational experiences, surveys and interviews were conducted with primary school teachers in a metropolitan city in East China. The objectives of this study were to describe teachers’ perceptions of migrant children's education in both migrant schools and in public schools, and to investigate differences in their beliefs between school types. Results found that urban teachers’ perceptions of educational inclusion of migrant students were slightly negative in general. However, teachers in public schools showed significantly more positive attitudes to inclusion of migrant students than migrant school teachers. In the light of these findings, the paper concludes with implications for practice and policy for education of migrant children in China.

Urban teachers’ perceptions of inclusion of migrant children in the Chinese educational institution: a comparative study

The chapter provides an overview of the existing policy landscape in Hong Kong and Japan. Key issues in school counseling are identified in each region, and the rationale underpinning policies for school-based counseling is discussed. The impact of policy on school practices is considered, and issues arising are identified. Relevant research findings are cited, and implications for future policy research considered.

School-Based Counseling Policy, Policy Research, and Implications: Findings from Hong Kong and Japan

Parent, Teacher, and Principal Perspectives of Parent Engagement in a Title 1 Elementary School by Valerie Anne Krage MS, Minnesota State University Moorhead, 2012 BS, The University of Wisconsin-Stout 1987 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University, December 2018

https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7168&context=dissertations

Parent, Teacher, and Principal Perspectives of Parent Engagement in a Title 1 Elementary School

Based upon the Fundamental Law of Education, Japanese school education system has long been a source of pride for the country as a result of the high school participation rate, the homogeneity of compulsory education throughout the country. However, the confidence of the people in its schools is now showing severe signs of strain and fatigue. In recent years, there have been many reports about the growing seriousness of a number of educational problems having to do with young people in their childhood and adolescence. Since the mid-1970s, a number of problems have been highlighted. They include violent behavior, juvenile crimes, bullying, refusal to attend school, dropping out at secondary level of education, and corporal punishment. Against the above background, based on recommendations from such advisory bodies as the Central Council for Education and the National Commission on Education Reform, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) has adopted a range of policies and launched a series of educational reform programmes. For instance, what is called “Rainbow Plan”, based on the final report submitted by the National Commission on Education Reform, provides the country with basic guidelines for the educational reform in the near future. Roles of educational research for making policies have been of significance. Research initiated by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER) and the National Federation of Educational Policy Research Institutes (NFERI) is an example of contributions to the development of educational qualities in the country.

Mariko Ichimi Abumiya

Papers

Educational Research for Policy and Practice in Japan – With Particular Reference to Youth Education