Today, some districts across the country are practicing data-driven decision making techniques not only to analyze test scores and student achievement, but also to narrow achievement gaps between student subgroups in order to improve teacher quality, to improve curriculum and to promote parental involvement and parental collaboration in the education. Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) is a system of teaching and management practices that enables classroom teachers to obtain more accurate information about their students. In its most basic form, data-driven decision making is about collecting appropriate data, analyzing that data in a meaningful method, getting the data into the hands of the people who need it. Using the data is important to increase school efficiencies and improve student achievement and communicating data-driven decisions to the correct professionals.
The author states that data can be a powerful tool for districts because knowledge is power, and there’s nothing more powerful than data to help district and school leaders develop a solid blueprint with measurable results for continuous improvement. Through the proper use of data, districts can:
Do an effective analysis of student achievement data can help Superintendents understand which instructional strategies are creating the best results and see where additional training might be needed.
Narrow achievement gaps. Data provides quantifiable evidence, taking the emotion out of what can be tough calls for superintendents and school boards.
Improve teacher quality. Districts can employ data-driven decision making systems to bring to light specific and targeted professional development needs of district staff
Analyze performance data with an effective data-driven decision making system
Data helps districts and administrators see things they might not
When is examined from all angles, it may highlight a program that, although popular, is not helping students learn.
Data can help drill down to the root causes of a problem opportunity for staff to learn from each other.
A data-driven decision making system allows administrators and teachers to adopt a proactive approach to curriculum design and development
At present, diverse districts across the country are employing data-driven decision making techniques not only to analyze test scores and student achievement, but also to:
• Narrow achievement gaps between student subgroups
• Improve teacher quality
• Improve curriculum
• Share best practices among schools and districts
• Communicate education issues more effectively with key stakeholders
• Promote parental involvement in the education process
• Increase dialogue within the educational community
Good intentions are no longer enough to direct the curricula of today’s schools.
Data Driven Decision Making is diverse, in that, there are numerous types of data collected many uses for the data collected, and a system that is required to make it effective in school districts. School districts may collect a wide range of data types to be used by the central office, administrators and teachers, all with different roles and perspectives in education. According to the author, the process data may provide reports such as financial operations or quality of teacher instruction within the schools. The outcome data, which is usually used to drive curriculum design, classroom instruction and test structure, may be data that reports dropout rates or student test scores. These types of data are methodically collected throughout the year to make decisions within a school district. (Source www.erdc.k12.mn.us/promo/sage/images/Analytics_WhitePaper.pdf)
After the data is collected, it will then be used to make a variety of decisions. Data can be used to identify, clarify, inform, or it can be used to act in educational situations. Frequently, DDDM is being used to determine the student’s level today and what it takes to get them to reach the curriculum standards. DDDM can be helpful when identifying patterns of outcomes within a school district. DDDM provides accountability for schools, which is an advantage to implementing data driven decisions in a district.
Lately, DDDM helps teachers to collaborate and work together when discussing the data collected within the classroom. This type of collaboration is what builds empowered teachers. Certainly, the teacher may generate more interest to study within the students. Students are given appropriate opportunities to learn because differentiation of instruction and learning styles are identified by the data collected. “School reform is the ultimate goal of school reform laws and the rules, policies, and procedures for implementing them. Federal and many state laws require schools to have school improvement plans and to set goals to improve student achievement of standards. Goals for improvement are based on state and local assessment results and the indicator systems of which they are a part. These results reveal overall learning, conditions that affect information; the school determines what needs to be improved, who needs to improve, and how that improvement might be accomplished.” (ael.org/dbdm)
Following the data collection, there is a need for time to organize, synthesize and train teachers to utilize the data within their classrooms. Without proper training in these areas, data will not be worthy. Communication is a necessary piece to DDDM to assure that data is collected, organized, and synthesized on a regular basis and in a timely manner. Then, data can ideally be used to inform and guide decisions made to improve teaching and student learning. Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) is a system of teaching and management practices that enables classroom teachers “Access to the raw data is crucial, because educators invariably want more detailed data, or want data presented in different ways, than paper reports typically provide.” (McLeod, S., 2007)
In regard to the cons some educators dislike the idea of DDDM because of its connection with the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). However, there are is plenty of research that supports the powerful tool that DDDM can be in the educational field. Also there is are numerous school districts across the country that are seeing substantial improvements in student achievement and learning as they incorporate data-driven practices. “Most importantly, building-level administrators must actively help teachers identify key indicators of classroom success, appropriately analyze their data, and then turn those data into strategic pedagogical interventions.” (McLeod, S., 2007)
Conclusion
Data Driven Decision Making is a process that consists of collecting data and using that data to inform and guide decisions. Those decisions help to improve teaching and student learning. Data can provide useful information within and across classes and schools in formats that educators at all levels can quickly use to determine best practices. In its most basic form, data-driven decision making is about collecting appropriate data, analyzing that data in a meaningful fashion, getting the data into the hands of the people who need it, using the data to increase school efficiencies and improve student achievement. A data-driven decision making system allows administrators and teachers to adopt a proactive approach to curriculum design and development. Certainly, there is plenty research that support the powerful tool that DDDM can be in the educational field. Also there is a variety of school districts across the country are seeing considerable improvements in student achievement and learning as they incorporate data-driven practices. It is important to notice that professional’s who use DDDM should be trained to acquire important data and use it in an accurate way with the objective to make the student succeed in the present and in the future.
References & Resources
Kadel, R. (2010). Data-Driven Decision Making--Not Just a Buzz Word. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(7), 18-21. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Means, B., Chen, E., DeBarger, A., Padilla, C., Department of Education (ED), O., & SRI, I. (2011). Teachers' Ability to Use Data to Inform Instruction: Challenges and Supports. Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, US Department of Education, Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Davis Bianco, S. (2010). Improving Student Outcomes: Data-driven Instruction and Fidelity of Implementation in a Response to Intervention (RTI) Model. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 6(5) Article 1. Retrieved [date] from http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/vol6/iss5/art1.
https://www.erdc.k12.mn.us/promo/sage/images/Analytics_WhitePaper.pdf
http://www.k12schoolnetworking.org/2007
http://www.accessibletech4all.org
http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP170
http://www.ael.org/dbdm
http://www.clrn.org/elar/dddm.cfm
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Curriculum and Technology for Educators
Professional Development for teachers is essential in improving the education that our students deserve. Technology is the one area of development that brings beads of sweat to many educators. Established teachers are resistant to change, especially change that involves equipment that most of their students have mastered. The first step of any sound professional development program is to develop a belief that curriculum drives technology and not the reverse. Technology intervention cannot be mastered unless there is continued support and direction.
In 1992, Mandinach (Mandinach, 1992) described four stages of technology use: survival, mastery, impact, and innovation.
A teacher is in the survival stage when he/she:
· Struggles against technology
· Is assailed by problems(everything that can go wrong will go wrong)
· Does not change the status quo of the classroom
· Use technology only for directed instruction
· Has unrealistic expectations, believing that use of technology only will improve higher achievement
A teacher in the mastery stage when he/she:
· Has increased tolerance to hardware and software
· Begins to use new forms of interaction with students and classroom practices
· Has increased technical competence and can troubleshoot simple problems
A teacher in the impact stage when he/she:
· Regularly incorporates new working relationships and classroom structures
· Balances instruction and construction
· Is rarely threatened by technology
· Regularly creates technology enhanced instructional units
A teacher in the innovation stage when he/she:
· Modifies his/her classroom environment to take full advantage of technology enhanced curriculum and learning activities
These stages will aid you in determining the level of ability of your teaching staff. Being comfortable with these areas allows you to evaluate the ways in which you are going to improve the levels of your staff. At this point you are ready to begin providing professional development for the various levels of the staff at your school.
Here are implementations for professional development systems that research has shown helps to reach teachers in the improvement of their skills.
1. After-school = least effective - teachers are tired at the end of their day and concentration is limited
2. Technology rover/prep shops = a trainer is brought into the school and teachers are coached on their prep time or a roving substitute is made available for the time needed. This is cost effective and valuable for specific needs
3. Mini grants = small grant money is supplied to the teacher to learn a specific piece of hardware with the condition that the teacher comes back from the training and trains other members of the staff.
4. Summer or Off Track Institutes = multi-day institutes are one of the most valuable forms of professional development. Teachers are less tired and willing to explore the values of new technology
5. Distance Learning = has the advantage of allowing teachers to access professional development at a time and location that is convenient for them.
6. Research based Professional Development Programs = EIRC is an example of an institution that provides PD to school districts. These programs are research based and are very successful.
Regardless of the skill level or the professional development vehicle that a teacher uses to improve their technological skills, it is essential that the staff be encouraged to gain and improve their stages of growth.
In 1992, Mandinach (Mandinach, 1992) described four stages of technology use: survival, mastery, impact, and innovation.
A teacher is in the survival stage when he/she:
· Struggles against technology
· Is assailed by problems(everything that can go wrong will go wrong)
· Does not change the status quo of the classroom
· Use technology only for directed instruction
· Has unrealistic expectations, believing that use of technology only will improve higher achievement
A teacher in the mastery stage when he/she:
· Has increased tolerance to hardware and software
· Begins to use new forms of interaction with students and classroom practices
· Has increased technical competence and can troubleshoot simple problems
A teacher in the impact stage when he/she:
· Regularly incorporates new working relationships and classroom structures
· Balances instruction and construction
· Is rarely threatened by technology
· Regularly creates technology enhanced instructional units
A teacher in the innovation stage when he/she:
· Modifies his/her classroom environment to take full advantage of technology enhanced curriculum and learning activities
These stages will aid you in determining the level of ability of your teaching staff. Being comfortable with these areas allows you to evaluate the ways in which you are going to improve the levels of your staff. At this point you are ready to begin providing professional development for the various levels of the staff at your school.
Here are implementations for professional development systems that research has shown helps to reach teachers in the improvement of their skills.
1. After-school = least effective - teachers are tired at the end of their day and concentration is limited
2. Technology rover/prep shops = a trainer is brought into the school and teachers are coached on their prep time or a roving substitute is made available for the time needed. This is cost effective and valuable for specific needs
3. Mini grants = small grant money is supplied to the teacher to learn a specific piece of hardware with the condition that the teacher comes back from the training and trains other members of the staff.
4. Summer or Off Track Institutes = multi-day institutes are one of the most valuable forms of professional development. Teachers are less tired and willing to explore the values of new technology
5. Distance Learning = has the advantage of allowing teachers to access professional development at a time and location that is convenient for them.
6. Research based Professional Development Programs = EIRC is an example of an institution that provides PD to school districts. These programs are research based and are very successful.
Regardless of the skill level or the professional development vehicle that a teacher uses to improve their technological skills, it is essential that the staff be encouraged to gain and improve their stages of growth.
This is a topic that hit close to home for me because I am a high school special education teacher in a Title 1 school district. I see my students disengage from school and drop out, often never attaining a GED or returning to complete their high school education.
Defining the Dropout Rate
The US Dept of Education’s Center for Education Statistics defines three categories of dropouts: event rates, status rates and cohort rates. Event rates are comprised of the percentage of students within a single year who drop out of their high school program without completion. Status rates reflect the percentage of students within an age range (typically ages 16 – 24) who have dropped out or are not enrolled in a high school program within a given year. Cohort rates are comprised of the total percentage of a specific group of students who have dropped out of school within a given year. The research I primarily relied upon used status rates for their data and calculations.
For the purposes of this paper, the dropout rate will be defined as: students between the ages of 16 and 24 who have not received a high school diploma or who are not enrolled in a high school education program.
Reasons Students Drop out of High School
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) conducted research on the reasons students drop out of school and determined, based on surveys of dropouts, that the number one reason given by those individuals for dropping out of school was uninteresting classes. The second most prominent reason given by the individuals for dropping out of school was becoming disillusioned with school because of their associations with peers who were unengaged with the educational process. Other reasons found by the CEC for students dropping out of school include real life events such as pregnancy, the need to gain full-time employment to support their family and illness. Another prominent reason for students dropping out of school is the fact that they were on the failure track with their grades and felt there was no recovering. Based upon analysis of their findings and data, the CEC identified two other prominent reasons students drop out of school: student disengagement and lack of or low parental involvement in the education of their children.
Suggestions for Preventing Students from Dropping Out
I noticed one over-lapping theme to all of the suggesting for fixing the student dropout rate: Engage, Engage, Engage. To engage students in the content they are to learn enough to get them to want to stay in school, schools must consider if their curriculum is engaging and meeting the student at the level he/she is at. Another way to engage students is through the educators developing relationships with the students – either taking an interest in the student’s athletics, play and/or coursework. Parental involvement and community support is also improtant in preventing students from dropping out of school. If the parents and community put faith and support into the educational system and make a culture of learning, the student will be less likely to drop out.
Defining the Dropout Rate
The US Dept of Education’s Center for Education Statistics defines three categories of dropouts: event rates, status rates and cohort rates. Event rates are comprised of the percentage of students within a single year who drop out of their high school program without completion. Status rates reflect the percentage of students within an age range (typically ages 16 – 24) who have dropped out or are not enrolled in a high school program within a given year. Cohort rates are comprised of the total percentage of a specific group of students who have dropped out of school within a given year. The research I primarily relied upon used status rates for their data and calculations.
For the purposes of this paper, the dropout rate will be defined as: students between the ages of 16 and 24 who have not received a high school diploma or who are not enrolled in a high school education program.
Reasons Students Drop out of High School
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) conducted research on the reasons students drop out of school and determined, based on surveys of dropouts, that the number one reason given by those individuals for dropping out of school was uninteresting classes. The second most prominent reason given by the individuals for dropping out of school was becoming disillusioned with school because of their associations with peers who were unengaged with the educational process. Other reasons found by the CEC for students dropping out of school include real life events such as pregnancy, the need to gain full-time employment to support their family and illness. Another prominent reason for students dropping out of school is the fact that they were on the failure track with their grades and felt there was no recovering. Based upon analysis of their findings and data, the CEC identified two other prominent reasons students drop out of school: student disengagement and lack of or low parental involvement in the education of their children.
Suggestions for Preventing Students from Dropping Out
I noticed one over-lapping theme to all of the suggesting for fixing the student dropout rate: Engage, Engage, Engage. To engage students in the content they are to learn enough to get them to want to stay in school, schools must consider if their curriculum is engaging and meeting the student at the level he/she is at. Another way to engage students is through the educators developing relationships with the students – either taking an interest in the student’s athletics, play and/or coursework. Parental involvement and community support is also improtant in preventing students from dropping out of school. If the parents and community put faith and support into the educational system and make a culture of learning, the student will be less likely to drop out.
Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum mapping is a collection of information on a school or school district’s curriculum, lessons, assessments and core content. Curriculum mapping is done for each subject or grade level in a school or district. It is drafted based on the 180-day school calendar to ensure that all required standards are covered during a particular school year. A curriculum map is not set in stone, but is a living document, designed to be adaptable to the changing needs of the school district and the state department of education.
Curriculum mapping serves many purposes for a school district. Beyond ensuring all standards are covered during the school year, curriculum mapping allows for communication between the teachers, school board, administrator, parents and other appropriate parties. Curriculum mapping programs also allow teachers to better collaborate not only within subject/grade areas, but cross-curricularly as well. Another purpose of curriculum mapping is to organize the school’s curriculum and to ensure it is appropriately aligned with relevant state standards.
The school district I work at recently implemented curriculum mapping utilizing an internet-based computer program called Atlas. For the past school year, the curriculum team, comprised of at least four teachers from each content area or grade level, has been uploading unit plans, formative and summative assessments, projects, worksheets and other resources to Atlas. The high school departments have fully completed their curriculum mapping, an the middle school and the elementary schools are on their way to completion. Use of the curriculum mapping program has benefitted the high school in many ways. First, it has allowed the teachers to share resources, assessments, projects and worksheets via the search function of Atlas. Secondly, it has given transparency to what the teachers and administrators are accomplishing as well as the expectations and responsibilities for student achievement. The transparency extends to the board of education. Each member of the BOE has their own log-in for the system. They are able to see that the teachers and administrators are aligning the curriculum with the standards and that the teachers are putting into practice the various initiatives of the district, including use of technology and differentiation. While curriculum mapping has brought definite benefits to the district, there have been some drawbacks as well. First, some teachers are not willing to share projects or worksheets they created. Secondly, the cost for Atlas and to pay the curriculum team to upload information to Atlas has been great. Despite the drawbacks of curriculum mapping, I believe that the process will ultimately benefit our school district by allowing the teachers to share resources and align curriculum, which will enhance the learning experiences of our students.
Curriculum mapping serves many purposes for a school district. Beyond ensuring all standards are covered during the school year, curriculum mapping allows for communication between the teachers, school board, administrator, parents and other appropriate parties. Curriculum mapping programs also allow teachers to better collaborate not only within subject/grade areas, but cross-curricularly as well. Another purpose of curriculum mapping is to organize the school’s curriculum and to ensure it is appropriately aligned with relevant state standards.
The school district I work at recently implemented curriculum mapping utilizing an internet-based computer program called Atlas. For the past school year, the curriculum team, comprised of at least four teachers from each content area or grade level, has been uploading unit plans, formative and summative assessments, projects, worksheets and other resources to Atlas. The high school departments have fully completed their curriculum mapping, an the middle school and the elementary schools are on their way to completion. Use of the curriculum mapping program has benefitted the high school in many ways. First, it has allowed the teachers to share resources, assessments, projects and worksheets via the search function of Atlas. Secondly, it has given transparency to what the teachers and administrators are accomplishing as well as the expectations and responsibilities for student achievement. The transparency extends to the board of education. Each member of the BOE has their own log-in for the system. They are able to see that the teachers and administrators are aligning the curriculum with the standards and that the teachers are putting into practice the various initiatives of the district, including use of technology and differentiation. While curriculum mapping has brought definite benefits to the district, there have been some drawbacks as well. First, some teachers are not willing to share projects or worksheets they created. Secondly, the cost for Atlas and to pay the curriculum team to upload information to Atlas has been great. Despite the drawbacks of curriculum mapping, I believe that the process will ultimately benefit our school district by allowing the teachers to share resources and align curriculum, which will enhance the learning experiences of our students.
What is STEM education?
Since 2001, the letters STEM have been a normal part of educational vocabulary. STEM in reference to education stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This approach to education is designed to revolutionize the teaching of subject areas such as mathematics and science by incorporating technology and engineering into regular curriculum. STEM Education attempts to transform the teacher-centered classroom by encouraging a curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and require students to actively engage a situation in order to find its solution.
The four parts of STEM have been taught separately and most of the time independent from each other for years. By adopting this philosophy, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics play an integral part in the teaching of the whole. The science, engineering, and mathematics fields are made complete by the technology component that provides a creative and innovative way to problem solve and apply what has been learned. STEM education program participants are using highly specialized professional applications at very early ages. Programs that are usually reserved for college-level classes, such as computer animation and CAD programs are being implemented in high school classrooms across the country as part of the STEM education initiative.
Since its implementation, critics have questioned the program’s ability to teach all students equally. This argument is a difficult one to hold. All students benefit from the STEM program because it teaches independent innovation and allows students to explore greater depths of all subjects by utilizing the skills learned; these skills are going to be required in order for today’s students to be tomorrow’s global leaders. All jobs are requiring workers to have a greater ability to think critically, work as a member of a team, as well as independently, and close the performance gap between American students and those young people from other countries.
In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the number of college students choosing majors in science or technology related fields. Much of this has to do with poor preparation for the classes during high school and the intense work required outside of the lecture setting in places like laboratories. Students have chosen easier majors and courses of study in place of taking on the fields that they wanted to enter due to poor preparedness. If the graduation rates continue with this trend, there will be a workforce shortage in areas of engineering and science fields.
The United States needs to be more competitive and build new standards for our students. In order for students to see advancements in their generations, it is important that they have a well-balanced education that includes STEM elements, as well as traditional classes in the Arts. STEM education is designed to teach the “whole” student and in turn will make them more successful members of society.
Since 2001, the letters STEM have been a normal part of educational vocabulary. STEM in reference to education stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This approach to education is designed to revolutionize the teaching of subject areas such as mathematics and science by incorporating technology and engineering into regular curriculum. STEM Education attempts to transform the teacher-centered classroom by encouraging a curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and require students to actively engage a situation in order to find its solution.
The four parts of STEM have been taught separately and most of the time independent from each other for years. By adopting this philosophy, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics play an integral part in the teaching of the whole. The science, engineering, and mathematics fields are made complete by the technology component that provides a creative and innovative way to problem solve and apply what has been learned. STEM education program participants are using highly specialized professional applications at very early ages. Programs that are usually reserved for college-level classes, such as computer animation and CAD programs are being implemented in high school classrooms across the country as part of the STEM education initiative.
Since its implementation, critics have questioned the program’s ability to teach all students equally. This argument is a difficult one to hold. All students benefit from the STEM program because it teaches independent innovation and allows students to explore greater depths of all subjects by utilizing the skills learned; these skills are going to be required in order for today’s students to be tomorrow’s global leaders. All jobs are requiring workers to have a greater ability to think critically, work as a member of a team, as well as independently, and close the performance gap between American students and those young people from other countries.
In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the number of college students choosing majors in science or technology related fields. Much of this has to do with poor preparation for the classes during high school and the intense work required outside of the lecture setting in places like laboratories. Students have chosen easier majors and courses of study in place of taking on the fields that they wanted to enter due to poor preparedness. If the graduation rates continue with this trend, there will be a workforce shortage in areas of engineering and science fields.
The United States needs to be more competitive and build new standards for our students. In order for students to see advancements in their generations, it is important that they have a well-balanced education that includes STEM elements, as well as traditional classes in the Arts. STEM education is designed to teach the “whole” student and in turn will make them more successful members of society.
Closing the Achievement Gap
The achievement gap in education is a matter of race, socioeconomic status, gender, and intellectual ability. Across the United States, a gap in academic achievement persists between the different populations. This is one of the most pressing education-policy challenges that states are currently facing. There are three main measures that are used to determine the achievement gap which are the standardized tests, dropout rates, and graduation rates of the schools. The NCLB policies have been put in place to help bridge the achievement gap by 2014, but there are so many areas that need improvement across the country. The problems aren’t just in the schools but in the community and home as well so it is hard to address all the factors that lead to the achievement gaps in schools.
Even though closing the achievement gap is a necessary step in getting the United States p to par with other countries in an educational standpoint, there are many negatives of this initiative that could leave many students struggling. NCLB has put a spotlight on the achievement gap and requires that states set the same performance targets for all their students. That includes students from economically disadvantages families, students with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and from all ethnic and racial groups. Students who do not have the same advantages as others should not be held up to the same standard and teaching those students at the same level as upper to middle class students could hurt their education. For example students with disabilities cannot be up to the standard of the other students in the school and should be taught to their mental ability not to the standard of children without disabilities. Schools are only considered successful if they close the achievement gap so schools could lose funding due to the gap they have in their school because they have students who cannot reach the level of the standard that has been placed on the school.
While the standard does affect the subgroups that do fail to meet the performance goals, the district has to provide public school choice and supplemental services to those students. This would help the students to get help to reach the standard of the school as long as the district keeps on top of regulating the services. Early intervention for the students with disabilities would help the students to reach the achievement goals of the district sooner as long as the services are started early and kept consistent. The job of closing the achievement gap falls into the districts hand and while it would be a nationwide achievement for all the states to close the gap, I feel that we are still very far off. There are too many areas that won’t get the help they need to be able to close these gaps and taking away funding would only hurt the districts. Closing the achievement gap is something that should happen in the United States but I think that the districts need more help to be able to address the needs of every student.
Even though closing the achievement gap is a necessary step in getting the United States p to par with other countries in an educational standpoint, there are many negatives of this initiative that could leave many students struggling. NCLB has put a spotlight on the achievement gap and requires that states set the same performance targets for all their students. That includes students from economically disadvantages families, students with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and from all ethnic and racial groups. Students who do not have the same advantages as others should not be held up to the same standard and teaching those students at the same level as upper to middle class students could hurt their education. For example students with disabilities cannot be up to the standard of the other students in the school and should be taught to their mental ability not to the standard of children without disabilities. Schools are only considered successful if they close the achievement gap so schools could lose funding due to the gap they have in their school because they have students who cannot reach the level of the standard that has been placed on the school.
While the standard does affect the subgroups that do fail to meet the performance goals, the district has to provide public school choice and supplemental services to those students. This would help the students to get help to reach the standard of the school as long as the district keeps on top of regulating the services. Early intervention for the students with disabilities would help the students to reach the achievement goals of the district sooner as long as the services are started early and kept consistent. The job of closing the achievement gap falls into the districts hand and while it would be a nationwide achievement for all the states to close the gap, I feel that we are still very far off. There are too many areas that won’t get the help they need to be able to close these gaps and taking away funding would only hurt the districts. Closing the achievement gap is something that should happen in the United States but I think that the districts need more help to be able to address the needs of every student.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The emphasis on STEM education
STEM education is composed of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It was developed in 2001 by Judith A. Ramaley and was immediately adopted by many higher education institutions and various scientific communities. The idea for STEM education derived from the fact that throughout history, these four domains have innovated the world indefinitely. From these domains necessities such as the automobile, light bulb and personal computers were developed. It was felt that in recent years, American students were not populating these fields as much and such innovations were not being produced in America.
Within the last few decades, rapid scientific and technological advances have been happening all over the world. America was at one time leading the world in new innovations; though in recent decades, Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea have been dominating the world with new innovations. STEM education was developed with the intent to enhance American children’s interest in these four domains at an early age. American children need to become excited about science and math the way they become excited about art and music.
It is the intention of STEM education to target American children in their primary grades and spark an interest in the STEM domains. Thus, American children will choose math, science, engineer, and/or technology majors upon entering college. By exposing first and second graders with biology and chemistry labs, children may be inspired to grasp better attention in their science classes. Explaining the inter-workings of a computer before allowing the children to play on it the computer may peak their interest in technology and engineering.
STEM education is also heavily supported by the national government. President Obama and his administration feel very strongly about STEM education. President Obama recently deemed STEM education as a must have in American school districts. A national science fair was held at the White House in 2010 showcasing projects including solar cars, rockets and robots. President Obama frequently refers to STEM education in his national addresses; he mentions that China and India make math and science a top priority in their schools, and the lags Americans have in those fields. He also discusses the initiative to hire and train 100,000 teachers in the STEM fields.
Some criticisms about STEM education include the issues concerning the current job market. Many feel that due to the record shortages for engineering and technical jobs in recent years, there is not a reason to invest more funding in STEM education. Many engineers in the U.S. were (and currently are) unemployed because in the economy; others have seemed to have aged out of the profession with the reason being that they are overqualified for those positions. It is felt, by these critics, that emphasizing STEM education in children is insignificant due to the current stance of the American job market.
Though there are some negative criticisms about STEM education, it is personally felt that STEM education is very beneficial to children. Technology and science innovations continue to grow in today’s world, thus it is imperative that American students stay aware of the new developments. In a national study mentioned in an article in USA Today, American students were ranked ninth in out of thirty six countries in the field of science. Emphases on STEM education could help improved this ranking, and make these four domains not only essential for American students but also very interesting.
Within the last few decades, rapid scientific and technological advances have been happening all over the world. America was at one time leading the world in new innovations; though in recent decades, Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea have been dominating the world with new innovations. STEM education was developed with the intent to enhance American children’s interest in these four domains at an early age. American children need to become excited about science and math the way they become excited about art and music.
It is the intention of STEM education to target American children in their primary grades and spark an interest in the STEM domains. Thus, American children will choose math, science, engineer, and/or technology majors upon entering college. By exposing first and second graders with biology and chemistry labs, children may be inspired to grasp better attention in their science classes. Explaining the inter-workings of a computer before allowing the children to play on it the computer may peak their interest in technology and engineering.
STEM education is also heavily supported by the national government. President Obama and his administration feel very strongly about STEM education. President Obama recently deemed STEM education as a must have in American school districts. A national science fair was held at the White House in 2010 showcasing projects including solar cars, rockets and robots. President Obama frequently refers to STEM education in his national addresses; he mentions that China and India make math and science a top priority in their schools, and the lags Americans have in those fields. He also discusses the initiative to hire and train 100,000 teachers in the STEM fields.
Some criticisms about STEM education include the issues concerning the current job market. Many feel that due to the record shortages for engineering and technical jobs in recent years, there is not a reason to invest more funding in STEM education. Many engineers in the U.S. were (and currently are) unemployed because in the economy; others have seemed to have aged out of the profession with the reason being that they are overqualified for those positions. It is felt, by these critics, that emphasizing STEM education in children is insignificant due to the current stance of the American job market.
Though there are some negative criticisms about STEM education, it is personally felt that STEM education is very beneficial to children. Technology and science innovations continue to grow in today’s world, thus it is imperative that American students stay aware of the new developments. In a national study mentioned in an article in USA Today, American students were ranked ninth in out of thirty six countries in the field of science. Emphases on STEM education could help improved this ranking, and make these four domains not only essential for American students but also very interesting.
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