I was browsing the Internet and came across this article. As future education professionals, regardless of occupation, we may be required to work a longer school year.
By KRISTEN WYATT, Associated Press Writer Kristen Wyatt, Associated Press Writer – Tue Apr 7, 4:22 pm ET
DENVER – American schoolchildren need to be in class more — six days a week, at least 11 months a year — if they are to compete with students abroad, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday.
"Go ahead and boo me," Duncan told about 400 middle and high school students at a public school in northeast Denver. "I fundamentally think that our school day is too short, our school week is too short and our school year is too short."
"You're competing for jobs with kids from India and China. I think schools should be open six, seven days a week; eleven, twelve months a year," he said.
Instead of boos, Duncan's remark drew an unsurprising response from the teenage assembly: bored stares.
The former Chicago schools superintendent praised Denver schools for allowing schools to apply for almost complete autonomy, which allows them to waive union contracts so teachers can stay for after-school tutoring or Saturday school.
He also applauded Denver's pay-for-performace teacher pay system, which some Democrats and teachers' groups oppose.
"Talent matters tremendously. ... It's important that great teachers get paid more," Duncan said.
He visited at the invitation of Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who was Denver's schools superintendent from 2005 until his appointment to Congress this year. The city's pay-for-performance plan was one of Bennet's chief accomplishments while in charge of the 75,000-student system.
During visits to two schools Tuesday, Duncan promoted education reforms proposed by the Obama administration. But he hasn't shied away from challenging Democratic positions on education since joining the Cabinet.
Last month, he said poor children who receive vouchers to attend private schools in the District of Columbia should be allowed to stay there, putting the Obama administration at odds with Democrats trying to end the program. Duncan talked up school choice during his Denver visit, though he didn't mention vouchers.
"I'm a big believer that students and parents should have a choice what school they want to go to," he said.
Bennet, greeted by hugs from teachers lining the hallways of the two schools, sided with Duncan. He told reporters he wanted to help steer any education reform proposals from the White House through the Senate.
"A change needs to come, especially in urban school districts, and it's not going to be easy," Bennet said. "I will do absolutely everything to get myself in the middle of that conversation."
Colorado, along with other states, is preparing to apply for some $5 billion in federal education grants from the economic stimulus package. Duncan said details of how that money will be awarded haven't been decided.
The U.S. Department of Education already has released $44 billion to the states. According to Colorado estimates, the state is due about $487 million for K-12 education.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Visual Aides for the April 14 Curriculum/Sociology Class
(Click pictures for sharper, individual images)Education and Income:
NAEP:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Class Size
Patricia Quinn Benn
Curriculum Development
Dr. Jay Dugan
1 April 2009
Class Size - Position Paper #2
“If classrooms and schools are to be places where students’ personal and learning needs are met, they should be small.” – Patricia Wasley
Ask any teacher if he/she would prefer a small or large class size, more than likely one can assume that the preference would be small. Common sense tells us that small class sizes are the ideal for a number of reasons. However, this very topic has been a debate for years and will continue to be within the educational realm for years to come. Therefore, the question remains, does class size truly matter? Research suggests that it does, but only to an extent. While class size can allow for more one-on-one time and even decrease discipline problems within the classroom, it seems that class size is only really effective within the lower grade levels. A number of pilot programs have set out to test such theories, and the findings have been consistent across the board. While small class size is ideal for a teacher and student, the reality suggests that there are in fact disadvantages as well.
Since the advent of the Bush administration, school personnel and parents alike have been hearing the latest catch phrase: No Child Left Behind. While this encompasses many different facets of the educational field, many teachers indicate, “no child should be left behind in the learning process,” and suggest that smaller class sizes would help prevent such (Wasley 2002). When class numbers are high, any teacher can report that it is near impossible to dedicate one-on-one time with each student. Unfortunately, most teachers find themselves with “the rebellious and demanding students [who] demand most of their time,” while the quiet students slip through the cracks (Wasley 2002). Larger class sizes result in fewer opportunities for students to participate orally in class, and teachers are less likely to encourage higher level thinking (NCTE 1990). Teachers have been fighting for small class sizes for years. But, what are the advantages?
According to ERIC, some of the most obvious advantages include
1. small class size facilitates increased student/teacher interaction.
2. small class size allows for thorough evaluation of each student and assignment.
3. small class size provides greater flexibility in teaching strategies.
4. small class size reduces teacher work load and therefore allows for more time with.
students.
5. small class size allocates more time for teacher preparation.
6. small class size minimizes student discipline. (Ellis 1984)
All of these advantages relate to the idea of relational accountability that suggests that teachers and students in smaller classes “get to know each other, feel less anonymous, and learn to trust each other and work together,” (Scherer 2002). However, while this makes sense in theory, is there research out there that indicates that it is plausible?
Over the past twenty years, a number of schools across the US have embarked upon a journey in which they set out to answer the hot topic question, “Does smaller class size really matter?” Here are the findings:
Indiana – Prime Time Program, 1984
o looked at classes kindergarten through third grade
o reduced class size from 22 to about 18
o findings and results were mixed, and much of the data was inconclusive
Tennessee – Project STAR, 1985-1989
o smaller classes outperformed larger classes on standardized tests
o minority students of the smaller classes achieved success in later grades
o smaller percentage of students retained
Burke Co., North Carolina – 1990, 1995-1996
o smaller classes outperformed larger classes in reading and math
o teachers’ instructional time increased by 80%
Wisconsin – SAGE Program, 1996-1997
o smaller classes had better success with basic skills tests than larger
o achievement gap lessened between Caucasian and African American students (1999)
Overall, the program findings suggest that small class size is advantageous to both the students and the teachers. However, findings also indicate that there are some disadvantages and caveats to the small class size theory. First and foremost, smaller class sizes result in more money. With school budgets being cut everywhere, is there money, or even space, to supply more teachers to lower class size? Also, there is the idea of quality versus quantity. If smaller class sizes demand more teachers, school districts and parents alike are going to want the most qualified teachers for their classrooms – are there enough out there (Ellis 1984)?
Speaking to teachers, most of the research suggests that teachers of smaller classes do not vary instruction. While they are happier with their class situation and find that they have more time to spend with students and assignments, the actual instructional strategies do not change (Scherer 2002). Therefore, “reducing class size has little effect with an effective teacher” – in other words, an effective teacher will be effective regardless of number, large or small (Center for Public Education 2006).
Is there an answer to the class size debate? It seems that there are arguments on both sides, and while the arguments for smaller class sizes may be stronger, are teachers ever truly going to see a change in their classrooms? As with anything, much of the problem does come down to finances, and while the US economic status continues to decline and most people’s taxes continue to rise, teachers will have to be patient because it is unlikely that smaller class sizes will become a necessity any time soon.
Works Cited
(1990). Statement on class size and teacher workload: secondary. NCTE Guideline, Retrieved March 4, 2009, from
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/classsizesecondary.
(2009). Class size and student achievement. The Center for Public Education, Retrieved March 4, 2009, from
http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/site/pp.aspx?c=kjJXJ5MPIwE&b=1533647.
(March 1999). Reducing class size, what do we know?. Archived Information, Retrieved March 4, 2009, from
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ReducingClass/Class_size.html
Ellis, Thomas I. (1984). Class size. ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, 11, Retrieved March 4, 2009,
from http://www.ericdisgests.org/pre-922/size.htm.
Scherer, Marge (2002).Perspectives/why think small?. Educational Leadership. 59, 5.
Wasley, Patricia A. (2002).Small classes, small schools: the time is now. Educational Leadership. 59, 6-10.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Brain Based Research
Brain Based Research
Amanda Sinko
Brain based research has been given much attention in its application to education over the last decade. With special education laws mandating least restrictive environments for students with disabilities, teachers have been challenged to meet a diverse range of needs in the general education classroom. Scientists are now attempting to link neurological and cognitive findings with education practice. It is hoped this will improve teaching strategies and learning outcomes for diverse learners.
Hardiman (2001) links Robert Marzano’s five Dimensions of Learning to current brain research to suggest best practices in teaching. The first dimension is Positive Attitudes, which links emotion and cognition, and explains student’s attitudes and perceptions can enhance or inhibit their learning. The second dimension is Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge which explains acquisition and integration of new information must occur within the context of what the child has already learned. The third dimension, Extending and Refining Knowledge, explains elaborating on knowledge requires the use of techniques such as comparing, classifying, inducing, deducing, analyzing errors, constructing support, abstracting, and analyzing perspectives. The fourth dimension, Using Knowledge Meaningfully, explains students learn best when they need information in order to accomplish a goal. For example, the information may be needed in order to make a decision, investigate, conduct experiments, and solve real world problems. The final dimension is Habits of Mind. This dimension posits reflection as a necessary component of learning. Students must engage in metacognitive reflection, goal setting, apply standards for their own learning, and examine their own style of learning. The following is a list of best practice suggestions for each dimension:
• Dimension One: Positive Attitudes
– Challenging yet supportive classroom environments
– Explicitly teach peer acceptance and social behaviors
– Connect emotions to learning through dramatizations, humor, movement, or arts
• Dimension Two: Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
– Present new information within the context of previously learned content
– Allow students to repeat learning
– Use mnemonic devices
– Use visually stimulating materials and manipulatives as well as text
– Integrate art, music, and movement into learning
• Dimension Three: Extending and Refining Knowledge
– Allow students to use prior knowledge to learn new information
– Allow students to compare their work with model work to analyze their errors
– Teach students to identify patterns that underlie concepts
• Dimension Four: Using Knowledge Meaningfully
– Design hands on activities that involve problem solving and have real world applications
– Allow students to use multiple ways to demonstrate learning
• Dimension Five: Habits of Mind
– Allow students to engage in metacognitive reflections
– Incorporate reflection into lessons
Lombardi (2007) examines Mel Levine’s neurodevelopmental work. Levine is considered an innovator in neurodevelopmental approaches to learning. Levine developed a framework based on neurodevelopmental functions to understand why children struggle in school. These essential neurodevelopmental functions comprise eight constructs including, attention, memory, language, spatial ordering, sequential ordering, the motor system, higher thinking, and social thinking. Each construct has a separate role in effective learning. Levine is a co-founder of All Kinds of Minds (www.allkindsofminds.org), which is an institute for the study of differences in learning and is based on his pivotal work, A Mind at a Time (2003) he recommends the following:
Observed behaviors are windows to learning
Every student comes to school with a balance sheet of strengths and weaknesses
Labels create barriers and do not tell us what is going on when students try to tackle assignment
Students should be helped to see their special possibilities for a gratifying life
No one can be good at everything
Students need to be able to talk about their learning; if you think it is hard for the parents and teachers of children with behavior, attention, or linguistic challenges, try being the child
Helping students get better at what they are good at and interested in makes sense
Student have a right and need to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in learning
The brain can be modified at any age or stage
Being a nonnative speaker is not a disability, yet many ELLs are misidentified at learning disabled
While linking neurological and cognitive finding to educational practices is an exciting prospect, not all researchers are on board with this movement. Kathie Nunley, an educational psychologist, questions whether we are doing a disservice to students by allowing them to only work within their learning style citing the real world is not as accommodating. Nunley recommends teachers allow struggling students to work within their personal learning styles in the beginning of the year in order to establish success. Once success is established teachers must encourage students to work within a wide range of learning styles to prepare them for real life experiences.
Other researchers have questioned the validity of the research that has linked neurological findings to educational practices. Judy Willis (2007) states “The findings of neuroimaging research for education and learning are still largely suggestive; they have not demonstrated a solid link between how the brain learns and how it metabolizes oxygen or glucose. Teaching strategies derived from well-controlled neuroimaging studies are at best compatible with the research about how the brain seems to respond preferentially to the presentation of sensory stimuli” (pg 698). Further, Kurt Fischer (2008) argues “Journalists, educators, and even brain scientists too readily leap from a brain research finding to an ‘implication’ for education – which is typically nothing more than a seat-of-the-pants speculation” (pg 145).
Resources:
Fischer, K.W. (2008) Dynamic cycles of coginitve and brain development: Measuring growth in mind, brain, and education. In A.M. Battro, K.W. Fischer & P. Lena (Eds.), The educated brain (pp127-150). Cambridge U.K.: Cambridge University Press.
Hardiman, Mariale M. (2001) Connecting brain research with dimensions of learning. Educational Leadership, 52-55
Willis, Judy (2007) Which brain research can educators trust? Phi Delta Kappan, 697-699.
http://www.allkindsofminds.org/
http://help4teachers.com/learningstyles.htm
Brain based research has been given much attention in its application to education over the last decade. With special education laws mandating least restrictive environments for students with disabilities, teachers have been challenged to meet a diverse range of needs in the general education classroom. Scientists are now attempting to link neurological and cognitive findings with education practice. It is hoped this will improve teaching strategies and learning outcomes for diverse learners.
Hardiman (2001) links Robert Marzano’s five Dimensions of Learning to current brain research to suggest best practices in teaching. The first dimension is Positive Attitudes, which links emotion and cognition, and explains student’s attitudes and perceptions can enhance or inhibit their learning. The second dimension is Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge which explains acquisition and integration of new information must occur within the context of what the child has already learned. The third dimension, Extending and Refining Knowledge, explains elaborating on knowledge requires the use of techniques such as comparing, classifying, inducing, deducing, analyzing errors, constructing support, abstracting, and analyzing perspectives. The fourth dimension, Using Knowledge Meaningfully, explains students learn best when they need information in order to accomplish a goal. For example, the information may be needed in order to make a decision, investigate, conduct experiments, and solve real world problems. The final dimension is Habits of Mind. This dimension posits reflection as a necessary component of learning. Students must engage in metacognitive reflection, goal setting, apply standards for their own learning, and examine their own style of learning. The following is a list of best practice suggestions for each dimension:
• Dimension One: Positive Attitudes
– Challenging yet supportive classroom environments
– Explicitly teach peer acceptance and social behaviors
– Connect emotions to learning through dramatizations, humor, movement, or arts
• Dimension Two: Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
– Present new information within the context of previously learned content
– Allow students to repeat learning
– Use mnemonic devices
– Use visually stimulating materials and manipulatives as well as text
– Integrate art, music, and movement into learning
• Dimension Three: Extending and Refining Knowledge
– Allow students to use prior knowledge to learn new information
– Allow students to compare their work with model work to analyze their errors
– Teach students to identify patterns that underlie concepts
• Dimension Four: Using Knowledge Meaningfully
– Design hands on activities that involve problem solving and have real world applications
– Allow students to use multiple ways to demonstrate learning
• Dimension Five: Habits of Mind
– Allow students to engage in metacognitive reflections
– Incorporate reflection into lessons
Lombardi (2007) examines Mel Levine’s neurodevelopmental work. Levine is considered an innovator in neurodevelopmental approaches to learning. Levine developed a framework based on neurodevelopmental functions to understand why children struggle in school. These essential neurodevelopmental functions comprise eight constructs including, attention, memory, language, spatial ordering, sequential ordering, the motor system, higher thinking, and social thinking. Each construct has a separate role in effective learning. Levine is a co-founder of All Kinds of Minds (www.allkindsofminds.org), which is an institute for the study of differences in learning and is based on his pivotal work, A Mind at a Time (2003) he recommends the following:
Observed behaviors are windows to learning
Every student comes to school with a balance sheet of strengths and weaknesses
Labels create barriers and do not tell us what is going on when students try to tackle assignment
Students should be helped to see their special possibilities for a gratifying life
No one can be good at everything
Students need to be able to talk about their learning; if you think it is hard for the parents and teachers of children with behavior, attention, or linguistic challenges, try being the child
Helping students get better at what they are good at and interested in makes sense
Student have a right and need to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in learning
The brain can be modified at any age or stage
Being a nonnative speaker is not a disability, yet many ELLs are misidentified at learning disabled
While linking neurological and cognitive finding to educational practices is an exciting prospect, not all researchers are on board with this movement. Kathie Nunley, an educational psychologist, questions whether we are doing a disservice to students by allowing them to only work within their learning style citing the real world is not as accommodating. Nunley recommends teachers allow struggling students to work within their personal learning styles in the beginning of the year in order to establish success. Once success is established teachers must encourage students to work within a wide range of learning styles to prepare them for real life experiences.
Other researchers have questioned the validity of the research that has linked neurological findings to educational practices. Judy Willis (2007) states “The findings of neuroimaging research for education and learning are still largely suggestive; they have not demonstrated a solid link between how the brain learns and how it metabolizes oxygen or glucose. Teaching strategies derived from well-controlled neuroimaging studies are at best compatible with the research about how the brain seems to respond preferentially to the presentation of sensory stimuli” (pg 698). Further, Kurt Fischer (2008) argues “Journalists, educators, and even brain scientists too readily leap from a brain research finding to an ‘implication’ for education – which is typically nothing more than a seat-of-the-pants speculation” (pg 145).
Resources:
Fischer, K.W. (2008) Dynamic cycles of coginitve and brain development: Measuring growth in mind, brain, and education. In A.M. Battro, K.W. Fischer & P. Lena (Eds.), The educated brain (pp127-150). Cambridge U.K.: Cambridge University Press.
Hardiman, Mariale M. (2001) Connecting brain research with dimensions of learning. Educational Leadership, 52-55
Willis, Judy (2007) Which brain research can educators trust? Phi Delta Kappan, 697-699.
http://www.allkindsofminds.org/
http://help4teachers.com/learningstyles.htm
Monday, April 6, 2009
Reforming and/or Reinventing Schools
Megan Monzo
Fundamentals of Curriculum Design
Position Paper
April 7, 2009
Reforming and/or Reinventing Schools
It is now in place that all 50 states have implemented accountability measures as a means to work on improving education quality. States use standards and tools to assess student performance with the expectation that all children can achieve a certain performance level and strategies are put in place to help build up current performance levels. They may also assist in closing the ‘achievement gap’ (www.ncsl.org). Each school must do so while following legal standards. If these standards are not met, school reform is put into action.
Data collection is a widely used in schools to help determine activity in the schools and whether or not the activities are positively influencing student achievement. This assists education professionals in figuring out what words and what may need to be modified or implemented in the curriculum and/or classroom. “Several studies have shown that it is possible to significantly raise student achievement in literacy and math in elementary school through the adoption of a variety of reforms and interventions, when they are implemented well” (Fashola and Slavin 1997, www.inmotionmagazine.com).
Each year states, districts, and schools must report how they are accountable in following laws and doing best practices in their schools. These reports are specified by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law and include assessment reports, accountability reports, and program/teacher evaluations. Accountability reports summarize reports at the individual student, classroom, school, district, and state level. Accountability report cards profiles at the school, district, and state levels that may be linked to state accountability systems; each state must submit an annual performance report the US Department of Education. Program evaluation reports summarize activities and services at the program level and describe evaluation methods and criteria including in them the results and consequences of the evaluation. (www.ccso.org)
The federal governments will annually review these reports and decide whether or not each school/district is following each of the standards. (Standards can be found on www.ccsso.org, the website for The Council of Chief State School Officers.) A mark of Pass or Fail is given to each school and becomes public information. Under accountability provisions in NCLB all public schools, districts, and states are evaluated for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) where they must meet criteria in Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, and either Graduation Rate or Attendance Rate.
If AYP is not met for two consecutive years, that school, district, or state is subject to certain requirements, such as offering supplemental education services, offering school choice, and/or taking corrective actions. At that point, the school’s power in programming is given over to a private organization to run the school for the district and may have the school completely restructure its curriculum.
School curriculum can be restructured by rewriting the curriculum basing it off of the NCLB standards. Schools should recognize what is being expected of their curriculum and understand what they will be marked/grades on. This can help in producing objectives, activities, and evaluating/assessment that will help improve student achievement. The curriculum should incorporate research-based teaching methods and activities in the lesson plans.
Schools work to pass their annual evaluations, but sometimes need assistance in offering a curriculum that meets certain standards. This can hurt the reputation of a school as well as push some students out to other schools via school choice. However, since the standards are set to help improve student achievement it seems that following them will help keep consistency among schools and hopefully increase student achievement overall.
References
www.ccsso.org
www.inmotionmagazine.com
www.ncsl.org
www.middleweb.com
Fundamentals of Curriculum Design
Position Paper
April 7, 2009
Reforming and/or Reinventing Schools
It is now in place that all 50 states have implemented accountability measures as a means to work on improving education quality. States use standards and tools to assess student performance with the expectation that all children can achieve a certain performance level and strategies are put in place to help build up current performance levels. They may also assist in closing the ‘achievement gap’ (www.ncsl.org). Each school must do so while following legal standards. If these standards are not met, school reform is put into action.
Data collection is a widely used in schools to help determine activity in the schools and whether or not the activities are positively influencing student achievement. This assists education professionals in figuring out what words and what may need to be modified or implemented in the curriculum and/or classroom. “Several studies have shown that it is possible to significantly raise student achievement in literacy and math in elementary school through the adoption of a variety of reforms and interventions, when they are implemented well” (Fashola and Slavin 1997, www.inmotionmagazine.com).
Each year states, districts, and schools must report how they are accountable in following laws and doing best practices in their schools. These reports are specified by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law and include assessment reports, accountability reports, and program/teacher evaluations. Accountability reports summarize reports at the individual student, classroom, school, district, and state level. Accountability report cards profiles at the school, district, and state levels that may be linked to state accountability systems; each state must submit an annual performance report the US Department of Education. Program evaluation reports summarize activities and services at the program level and describe evaluation methods and criteria including in them the results and consequences of the evaluation. (www.ccso.org)
The federal governments will annually review these reports and decide whether or not each school/district is following each of the standards. (Standards can be found on www.ccsso.org, the website for The Council of Chief State School Officers.) A mark of Pass or Fail is given to each school and becomes public information. Under accountability provisions in NCLB all public schools, districts, and states are evaluated for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) where they must meet criteria in Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, and either Graduation Rate or Attendance Rate.
If AYP is not met for two consecutive years, that school, district, or state is subject to certain requirements, such as offering supplemental education services, offering school choice, and/or taking corrective actions. At that point, the school’s power in programming is given over to a private organization to run the school for the district and may have the school completely restructure its curriculum.
School curriculum can be restructured by rewriting the curriculum basing it off of the NCLB standards. Schools should recognize what is being expected of their curriculum and understand what they will be marked/grades on. This can help in producing objectives, activities, and evaluating/assessment that will help improve student achievement. The curriculum should incorporate research-based teaching methods and activities in the lesson plans.
Schools work to pass their annual evaluations, but sometimes need assistance in offering a curriculum that meets certain standards. This can hurt the reputation of a school as well as push some students out to other schools via school choice. However, since the standards are set to help improve student achievement it seems that following them will help keep consistency among schools and hopefully increase student achievement overall.
References
www.ccsso.org
www.inmotionmagazine.com
www.ncsl.org
www.middleweb.com
School Choice/Vouchers
Megan Monzo Vouchers/School Choice Debate March 10, 2009
A recent issue involving school systems is the usage of vouchers as a means of school choice by parents. Utilizing vouchers allows parents to use all or part of the government funding set aside for their children’s education to send their children to the public or private school of their choice regardless of where they live or their income.
The program was developed due to failure of public schools in many urban areas of the country (www.balancedpolitics.org) and currently is offered in numerous states. The school systems involved in this plan offer tuition to students for various reasons decided upon by each system. The Universal Voucher Programs allow all children to be eligible for vouchers. The Means-Tested Voucher Programs are for those below a defined income level while the Special Needs voucher Programs target those with special education needs. Failing Schools, Failing Students Voucher Programs are offered to those performing poorly in public school or who are attending failing public schools. The Pre-Kindergarten Voucher Programs are for pre-K age children. There are also Town Tuition Programs. Those who live in towns that do not operate public schools at their grade level are eligible. In this type of situation, the school in which each student is transferred to is sometimes chosen by their district representatives, but usually the student’s parents may choose the school in which they wish their child to attend www.essortment.com).
The amount of money allotted per child is determined by voters and represents tax dollars already being used for education. Approximately $3,000-5,000/student (dependent upon a child’s age and needs) of state allotments each year is allotted with the voucher to provide funding for local systems (www.gainesvilletimes.com) as reported in the Gainesville Times. All of the voucher money will serve as tuition to either public or private schools of the parents’ choice. However, in charter schools, not all of the funding per student goes out to charter school choosing students. Some of the money is kept in the student’s district in which they live leaving the district school without a total loss of funds from each student who chooses to move to a charter school.
There is much debate as to whether or not vouchers are a positive tool. An argument in favor of vouchers is that competition between schools can increase, leading to greater efficiency and student success and is a healthy reason for districts to work hard at improving their schools to increase out-of-district tuition students. However, some charter schools do not collect all tuition leaving the original schools from which students come from may have less incentive to compete since they are not losing the full amount of tuition from a child leaving that school.
Some additional reasons behind pro-school choice are giving people a choice equals liberty (www.friedmanfoundation.org), parents can have a choice as to what type of school their child attends so quality of education no longer needs to be based on where one lives or a family’s income, the quality of education and the opportunity to achieve success can increase, history shows that private schools have had more success in teaching information and values than public schools (www.balancedpolitics.org), studies show that school choice leads to better test scores for all students and higher education rates (www.friedmanfoundation.org), and particularly in urban areas drop out rates are hitting record highs. Additional reasons for pro-school choice are: those who choose different schools could have an increase in school completion, providing private school access to all students can increase diversity, parents who send their children to private schools pay twice – they pay taxes that pay towards public schools as well as private school tuition, and recent poor economic times has had a negative effect on the number of pupils attending private school this year (www.gainesvilletimes.com). Vouchers could help increase attendance in private schools as well as funding for private education facilities.
An argument against using vouchers is by skeptics who fear that ‘choice’ may backfire by taking resources away from already struggling public schools (www.pbs.org) since vouchers can drain funding from public schools. There is also the Budgeting debate. One side of this argument is that planning the budget without knowing if and how many students will no longer be at the schools next year is difficult to gage. If students leave they take funding away with them. The other side finds that even if students leave and the school system is over budget for the number of students in the schools next year, there will be extra money per child to use to improve their education. In addition to these arguments, there is the issue of private schools, which have the opportunity to choose their students, leaving some students with less of a ‘choice’ than others. When students with more ‘challenges’ than others are not accepted into private schools the public schools educate them. Government money tends to go towards special education in the public schools and for more gifted students in private schools. If private schools [discriminate] then special needs students have less advantage by way of vouchers at a private school than someone with higher functioning who uses their voucher at the same private school. If this discrimination continues and the number of parents with higher functioning students choosing private schools increases public schools might become known for teaching lower functioning students while private schools’ reputations will (continue to) be for educating only gifted students.
Another debate on vouchers is the Choice Debate. Some argue that tax dollars for education belongs to the State and should not be spent at the parents’ discretion. Some might argue that parents are not necessarily equipped with enough education on the education system to know what placement or type of school is best for their child. Others feel that parents can make the best choice for their children since they know them best and should decide what school could be best for the child.
Private school curriculum and teacher abilities are questionable to some who attest that private schools are not regulated by the state and their teachers are not required to be state certified (www.gainesvilletimes.com). It may be difficult to know how well private schools perform. It seems that public school teachers have an unfair advantage against private school teachers in that public school teachers may, at times, be limited in their allowance of using certain potentially helpful teaching methods to help students excel due to government regulations while private school teachers get more free range teaching opportunities. Private school teachers may make better progress with students because of this. Parents noticing this might choose to use their vouchers in private schools. However, if government spending may go towards private education it would seem that academic accountability as well as testing regime should be the same across the board. An issue that arises between public and private is that public schools can compete against each other, but only so much against private schools since government rules, regulations, and oversights are different.%
Separation of Church and State Debate takes into account the first amendment. The parent makes the choice of which type of school the child attends, so the government is not imposing religion on anyone and, therefore, not violating the 1st Amendment establishment clause. Others feel that government funding violates the 1st Amendment separation of church and state since the government is allowing tax payers’ money to be spent on religious education (if parents opt for private schools using vouchers). Some tax payers do not want their money to be spent on a religious school for personal and principle reasons. Some fear government spending on religious schools will spread to other religious institutions leading to a type of religion-dominated society.
It is early to tell whether or not the voucher system will be successful on a larger scale. For now, vouchers are being tested and results that come from this could expand or minimize this endeavor and is yet to be discovered.
Resources
www.balancedpolitics.org
www.essortment.com
www.friedmanfoundation.org
www.gainsevilletimes.com
www.pbs.org
A recent issue involving school systems is the usage of vouchers as a means of school choice by parents. Utilizing vouchers allows parents to use all or part of the government funding set aside for their children’s education to send their children to the public or private school of their choice regardless of where they live or their income.
The program was developed due to failure of public schools in many urban areas of the country (www.balancedpolitics.org) and currently is offered in numerous states. The school systems involved in this plan offer tuition to students for various reasons decided upon by each system. The Universal Voucher Programs allow all children to be eligible for vouchers. The Means-Tested Voucher Programs are for those below a defined income level while the Special Needs voucher Programs target those with special education needs. Failing Schools, Failing Students Voucher Programs are offered to those performing poorly in public school or who are attending failing public schools. The Pre-Kindergarten Voucher Programs are for pre-K age children. There are also Town Tuition Programs. Those who live in towns that do not operate public schools at their grade level are eligible. In this type of situation, the school in which each student is transferred to is sometimes chosen by their district representatives, but usually the student’s parents may choose the school in which they wish their child to attend www.essortment.com).
The amount of money allotted per child is determined by voters and represents tax dollars already being used for education. Approximately $3,000-5,000/student (dependent upon a child’s age and needs) of state allotments each year is allotted with the voucher to provide funding for local systems (www.gainesvilletimes.com) as reported in the Gainesville Times. All of the voucher money will serve as tuition to either public or private schools of the parents’ choice. However, in charter schools, not all of the funding per student goes out to charter school choosing students. Some of the money is kept in the student’s district in which they live leaving the district school without a total loss of funds from each student who chooses to move to a charter school.
There is much debate as to whether or not vouchers are a positive tool. An argument in favor of vouchers is that competition between schools can increase, leading to greater efficiency and student success and is a healthy reason for districts to work hard at improving their schools to increase out-of-district tuition students. However, some charter schools do not collect all tuition leaving the original schools from which students come from may have less incentive to compete since they are not losing the full amount of tuition from a child leaving that school.
Some additional reasons behind pro-school choice are giving people a choice equals liberty (www.friedmanfoundation.org), parents can have a choice as to what type of school their child attends so quality of education no longer needs to be based on where one lives or a family’s income, the quality of education and the opportunity to achieve success can increase, history shows that private schools have had more success in teaching information and values than public schools (www.balancedpolitics.org), studies show that school choice leads to better test scores for all students and higher education rates (www.friedmanfoundation.org), and particularly in urban areas drop out rates are hitting record highs. Additional reasons for pro-school choice are: those who choose different schools could have an increase in school completion, providing private school access to all students can increase diversity, parents who send their children to private schools pay twice – they pay taxes that pay towards public schools as well as private school tuition, and recent poor economic times has had a negative effect on the number of pupils attending private school this year (www.gainesvilletimes.com). Vouchers could help increase attendance in private schools as well as funding for private education facilities.
An argument against using vouchers is by skeptics who fear that ‘choice’ may backfire by taking resources away from already struggling public schools (www.pbs.org) since vouchers can drain funding from public schools. There is also the Budgeting debate. One side of this argument is that planning the budget without knowing if and how many students will no longer be at the schools next year is difficult to gage. If students leave they take funding away with them. The other side finds that even if students leave and the school system is over budget for the number of students in the schools next year, there will be extra money per child to use to improve their education. In addition to these arguments, there is the issue of private schools, which have the opportunity to choose their students, leaving some students with less of a ‘choice’ than others. When students with more ‘challenges’ than others are not accepted into private schools the public schools educate them. Government money tends to go towards special education in the public schools and for more gifted students in private schools. If private schools [discriminate] then special needs students have less advantage by way of vouchers at a private school than someone with higher functioning who uses their voucher at the same private school. If this discrimination continues and the number of parents with higher functioning students choosing private schools increases public schools might become known for teaching lower functioning students while private schools’ reputations will (continue to) be for educating only gifted students.
Another debate on vouchers is the Choice Debate. Some argue that tax dollars for education belongs to the State and should not be spent at the parents’ discretion. Some might argue that parents are not necessarily equipped with enough education on the education system to know what placement or type of school is best for their child. Others feel that parents can make the best choice for their children since they know them best and should decide what school could be best for the child.
Private school curriculum and teacher abilities are questionable to some who attest that private schools are not regulated by the state and their teachers are not required to be state certified (www.gainesvilletimes.com). It may be difficult to know how well private schools perform. It seems that public school teachers have an unfair advantage against private school teachers in that public school teachers may, at times, be limited in their allowance of using certain potentially helpful teaching methods to help students excel due to government regulations while private school teachers get more free range teaching opportunities. Private school teachers may make better progress with students because of this. Parents noticing this might choose to use their vouchers in private schools. However, if government spending may go towards private education it would seem that academic accountability as well as testing regime should be the same across the board. An issue that arises between public and private is that public schools can compete against each other, but only so much against private schools since government rules, regulations, and oversights are different.%
Separation of Church and State Debate takes into account the first amendment. The parent makes the choice of which type of school the child attends, so the government is not imposing religion on anyone and, therefore, not violating the 1st Amendment establishment clause. Others feel that government funding violates the 1st Amendment separation of church and state since the government is allowing tax payers’ money to be spent on religious education (if parents opt for private schools using vouchers). Some tax payers do not want their money to be spent on a religious school for personal and principle reasons. Some fear government spending on religious schools will spread to other religious institutions leading to a type of religion-dominated society.
It is early to tell whether or not the voucher system will be successful on a larger scale. For now, vouchers are being tested and results that come from this could expand or minimize this endeavor and is yet to be discovered.
Resources
www.balancedpolitics.org
www.essortment.com
www.friedmanfoundation.org
www.gainsevilletimes.com
www.pbs.org
Friday, April 3, 2009
Helicopter Parents
Definition and Description
Though widely used in both the education field and in the media, little academic research has examined the phenomenon known as “helicopter parents”. Although the actual origin of the phrase is unknown, in 1990 authors Foster W. Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay defined "helicopter parents" in a section on "ineffective parenting styles" in their book Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility. From there, American college administrators began referring to the overwhelming amount of parental involvement they saw on their campuses as “helicopter parents”. With numerous definitions and interpretations, the term “helicopter parents” has been described as:
“Helicopter parents is used to describe those moms and dads who constantly hover over their child, ready to swoop in whenever there’s a perceived crisis.” – Bridget Booher, Duke University
“… helicopter parents who hover over their kids, micromanaging every aspect of their lives.” – Donna Krache, CNN
“… helicopter parents who hover over their children’s lives.”- Stephanie Armour, USA Today
Though popularized in American culture the issue is acknowledge worldwide. For example in Scandinavia it is known as curling parenthood and refers to “… parents who attempt to sweep all obstacles out of the paths of their children.”- (Wikipedia)
Similarily, “lawnmower parents” is a phrase used to refer to those “…who attempt to smooth out and mow down all obstacles, to the extent that they may even attempt to interfere at their children's workplaces, regarding salaries and promotions, after they have graduated from college and are supposedly living on their own.” (Wikipedia)
Most recently, the term “Black Hawk parents” emerged describing those parents who cross the line from overly protective and involved to unethical behavior such as writing their child’s essays or taking online placement tests for their child.
Educational Implications and Drawbacks
When dealing with “helicopter parents” one must remember that a parent, most likely, has their child’s best interest in mind when intervening in their education. Keeping this in mind, adjusting one’s attitude to form a cooperative relationship with such parents can increase communication. However, often these parents are the ones who take up the most of your time and energy and feelings of annoyance and resentment can emerge. Many believe “helicopter parents” impede education and list the following as the drawbacks to such intense parental involvement.
- Prevents children from developing their own decision-making skills
- Can result in strained relationships between school and parents
- Though parents may believe it brings them closer to their children, in many cases the children begin to resent the parental involvement and can even be embarrassed by the lack of independence.
- Teaches children a sense of entitlement instead of personal responsibility
- Children have difficulty dealing with authority (unable to distinguish what battle to fight and which ones to talk through and negotiate)
Kristen Schiers Taylor
Sources
- “How to Ground a “helicopter parent”. – Donna Krache (http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/08/13/helicopter.parents/index.html)
- “Helicopter’ parents hover when kids job hunt”- Stephanie Armour (http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2007-04-23-helicopter-parents-usat_N.htm
- “Helicopter Parents”- Bridget Booher (http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/010207/parents1.html
- Helicopter Parents- Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_parent)
Though widely used in both the education field and in the media, little academic research has examined the phenomenon known as “helicopter parents”. Although the actual origin of the phrase is unknown, in 1990 authors Foster W. Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay defined "helicopter parents" in a section on "ineffective parenting styles" in their book Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility. From there, American college administrators began referring to the overwhelming amount of parental involvement they saw on their campuses as “helicopter parents”. With numerous definitions and interpretations, the term “helicopter parents” has been described as:
“Helicopter parents is used to describe those moms and dads who constantly hover over their child, ready to swoop in whenever there’s a perceived crisis.” – Bridget Booher, Duke University
“… helicopter parents who hover over their kids, micromanaging every aspect of their lives.” – Donna Krache, CNN
“… helicopter parents who hover over their children’s lives.”- Stephanie Armour, USA Today
Though popularized in American culture the issue is acknowledge worldwide. For example in Scandinavia it is known as curling parenthood and refers to “… parents who attempt to sweep all obstacles out of the paths of their children.”- (Wikipedia)
Similarily, “lawnmower parents” is a phrase used to refer to those “…who attempt to smooth out and mow down all obstacles, to the extent that they may even attempt to interfere at their children's workplaces, regarding salaries and promotions, after they have graduated from college and are supposedly living on their own.” (Wikipedia)
Most recently, the term “Black Hawk parents” emerged describing those parents who cross the line from overly protective and involved to unethical behavior such as writing their child’s essays or taking online placement tests for their child.
Educational Implications and Drawbacks
When dealing with “helicopter parents” one must remember that a parent, most likely, has their child’s best interest in mind when intervening in their education. Keeping this in mind, adjusting one’s attitude to form a cooperative relationship with such parents can increase communication. However, often these parents are the ones who take up the most of your time and energy and feelings of annoyance and resentment can emerge. Many believe “helicopter parents” impede education and list the following as the drawbacks to such intense parental involvement.
- Prevents children from developing their own decision-making skills
- Can result in strained relationships between school and parents
- Though parents may believe it brings them closer to their children, in many cases the children begin to resent the parental involvement and can even be embarrassed by the lack of independence.
- Teaches children a sense of entitlement instead of personal responsibility
- Children have difficulty dealing with authority (unable to distinguish what battle to fight and which ones to talk through and negotiate)
Kristen Schiers Taylor
Sources
- “How to Ground a “helicopter parent”. – Donna Krache (http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/08/13/helicopter.parents/index.html)
- “Helicopter’ parents hover when kids job hunt”- Stephanie Armour (http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2007-04-23-helicopter-parents-usat_N.htm
- “Helicopter Parents”- Bridget Booher (http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/010207/parents1.html
- Helicopter Parents- Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_parent)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)