Education for all : providing curriculum for students with disabilities in a standards-based environment : implications for Queensland schools

This report investigates lessons learned by educators in the United States when providing a standards-based curriculum for all students including Students with Disabilities (SWD). Assumptions about implementation of these lessons are then made to the Queensland school system. Queensland mainstream schools currently provide a standards-based curriculum for over sixteen thousand-four hundred students with mild-moderate disabilities and appear to be challenged by this new educational reform and its implications to school and teacher practices, beliefs and attitudes. The analysis of US research, literature and educational policy for this report, has provided some implications for Queensland schools in the areas of student participation, achievement and curriculum planning to provide an “education for all”. The analysis and comparison of legislation and policy, which demonstrates some significant similarities, provides greater validity for the application of lessons learned in the United States to the Queensland context. The key findings about lessons learned provides Queensland schools with some assumptions as to why and how they need to refocus school leader and teachers’ practices, beliefs and attitudes to provide an “education for all”. These lessons infer that school leaders and teachers to explicitly focus on equity, expectation, accountability, performance, alignment and collaboration so that effective curriculum is provided for SWD, indeed all students, in the Queensland standards-based curriculum environment.

Formative and summative assessment and the notion of constructive alignment

This paper discusses the different perceptions of first year accounting students about their tutorial activities and their engagements in assessment. As the literature suggests, unless participation in learning activities forms part of graded assessment, it is often difficult to engage students in these activities. Using an action research model, this paper reports the study of first year accounting students' responses to action-oriented learning tasks in tutorials. The paper focuses on the importance of aligning curriculum objectives, learning and teaching activities and assessment, i.e. the notion of constructive alignment. However, as the research findings indicate, without support at institutional level, applying constructive alignment to facilitate quality student learning outcomes is a difficult task. Thus, the impacts of policy constraints on curriculum issues are also discussed, focusing on the limitations faced by tutors and their lack of involvement in curriculum development.

Accounting : building business skills, 3rd ed.

The new edition of this widely used and respected introductory accounting textbook continues to provide students and academics with a well written and accessible resource, with ample illustrations and applications to business for a first study of accounting. The text effectively maintains the balance between a 'user' and 'preparer' perspective by integrating real financial information and business decisions throughout. Through the use of real company information and financial statements students will quickly appreciate the use and users of accounting information. The textbook clearly outlines to students how a financial statement - such as a balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement - communicates the financing, operating, and investing activities of a business. The text builds a strong conceptual understanding and develops skills in the application of accounting principles and techniques, providing students with a solid foundation for further studies in accounting. The integral role of financial statements for decision making is also emphasised in this text and is reinforced throughout by the Decision Toolkit in each chapter. Students are provided with an extensive set of tools necessary to make business decisions based on financial information.

Positioning the Arts in the Australian National Curriculum

In 2008 the Australian Government embarked on the development of a National Curriculum. To date, announcements about development of learning areas in Phase 1 (English, mathematics, science and history) and Phase 2 (geography and languages) have been released. But where are the arts positioned? This article traces the advocacy strategy employed by Drama Australia and the National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE) in the fight for the arts to be included in National Curriculum Board (NCB) timeline for development, trial and implementation.

Financial accounting: building accounting knowledge

Financial Accounting: Building Accounting Knowledge is a new textbook written for the first financial accounting subject that a student majoring in accounting is required to study. Based on the successful introductory accounting textbook, 'Accounting: building business skills', this text will provide students and academics with a well written and accessible textbook on the principles of financial accounting, with ample illustrations and applications to business. The text maintains the balance between a 'user' and 'preparer' perspective effectively by integrating real financial information and business decision choices throughout the chapters. Through the use of real company information and financial statements students will quickly appreciate the use of accounting information. The textbook clearly outlines to students how accounting information communicates the financing, operating, and investing activities of a business. The text builds a strong conceptual understanding and develops skills in the application of accounting principles and techniques, providing students with a solid foundation for studying accounting.