Download or read book Administrators Perceptions Regarding Impact of Ability Grouping on Student Achievement and School Culture written by Matthew D. Fox and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine administrators' perceptions of the impact of ability grouping regarding school culture and student achievement. Fifteen secondary administrators from school districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania completed online surveys containing 20 Likert scale and 6 open-ended questions. Additionally, six administrators volunteered to participate in structured interviews to further explore administrator perceptions of ability grouping. The first research question examined administrator perceptions of the impact of ability grouping on school culture. Analysis of the data indicated that participants agreed that ability grouping provides a customized, individualized curriculum to address the needs of students. Participants perceived that ability grouping may segregate students by socioeconomic status and race, particularly for minority and lower socioeconomic students. Participants also acknowledged that ability grouping students leads to varied social and academic opportunities amongst students dependent on their level placement. The second research question identified administrator perceptions of the impact of ability grouping on student achievement. The findings suggested that participants believed that homogeneous ability grouping widens the achievement gap between higher and lower-ability students. Participants similarly perceived that grouping higher-ability students together tends to lead to higher student achievement. Lastly, participants shared how ability grouping creates disparities in social and academic opportunities, which coincides with their concurrence that heterogeneous ability grouping leads to greater student achievement for all students through equal access to educational experiences and opportunities.

Download or read book Ability Grouping in Education written by Judith Ireson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2001 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ability Grouping in Education provides an overview of ability grouping in education. The authors consider selective schooling and ability grouping within schools, such as streaming, banding setting and within-class grouping.

Download or read book Teacher s Preceptions of Ability Grouping of Students at the High School and Middle School Levels and It s Impact on Instruction written by Lindsey Stock and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate goal of education is to empower future members of society to live successful and productive lives. The best way to do so is to ensure that all students are provided with the opportunities that will help them to grow to their fullest potential. One major aspect of education that has a formidable impact on student achievement and future prospects is implemented early on in a child's educational journey and can have lasting implications for good or for bad. Student ability tracking is a widely implemented practice that has been studied many times since the inception of compulsory education. However, very few studies have been conducted to determine the level of understanding of this practice in secondary schools and how the implementation of student ability grouping at the secondary level can impact the educational opportunities provided to students across perceived and identified ability levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of teacher perception of the students in homogeneously and heterogeneously grouped classrooms and how these perceptions impact the instructional decisions teachers make. For the qualitative study, data was collected using a survey of38 educators with 12 structured interviews. Participants are educators in one suburban school district. The length of teaching experience and content certification varied with teachers with less than five years of experience to over 30 years of experience. From the results of the study, there was evidence to suggest teachers do not have a shared definition of student ability grouping and also do not have a shared understanding of how and when students are originally ability grouped. Participant responses also demonstrated that, despite a lack of shared definition and belief that ability grouping is a legitimate indicator of academic ability, teachers still base instructional decision making on the course level or ability group they are assigned to teach.

Download or read book Perceptions Of Ability Grouping And Its Possible Contribution To The Achievement Gap written by Frederick Douglas Williams and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this mixed methodology study was to explore the perceptions of ability grouping and its possible contribution to the achievement gap within the high school. The researcher asserted that course placement criterion, associated with the College Prep, Honors and Advanced placement ability groups, serve as contributing factors towards maintaining an achievement gap between White, Asian, Black and Hispanic students. The study revealed stakeholder perceptions and concerns regarding the methods involved to place students in College Prep, Honors and Advanced Placement courses as a contributing factor towards maintaining the achievement gap that exists within the district. This study focused on the following research questions: (1) What are the specific beliefs, roles, and influences of teachers, administrators, counselors, students, and parents when determining ability level placement in school? (2) What key factors shape teacherss perceptions of students relative to academic achievement and placement? (3) Does a course placement criterion contribute to the achievement gap? The findings were based upon four data sources: focus groups conducted with parents, teachers/counselors, and students; interviews conducted with three district administrators; an on-line survey completed by parents, students, teachers/counselors and administrators; and a review of archival data regarding course enrollment and High School Proficiency Assessment scores over a period of three academic years. This action research dissertation revealed fifteen findings of which four themes emerged. The themes are: (1) Beliefs, values, and influences of teachers, parents, and students affect ability grouping decisions; (2) A students perceived work ethic and grades earned in previous classes influence teachers decisions regarding ability placement; (3) The parents right to overrule teacher course recommendations and course placement criterion contribute towards the achievement gap; and (4) Course enrollment and standardized test scores demonstrate the existence of an achievement gap in Central Jersey High School.

Download or read book Alternatives to Tracking and Ability Grouping written by Anne Wheelock and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 1994 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A number of respected school systems are now seeking alternatives to tracking and ability grouping, alternatives that will ensure a better education for all students whatever their abilities. This handbook introduces practitioners to educators around the United States who are developing alternatives to harmful grouping practices. After a brief review of the roots of sorting practices and their impact on teaching and learning, the book describes features of classrooms and schools that have begun to use heterogeneous groupings and other innovative strategies. These features include high expectations for all, agreed-upon outcomes, coaching to help all students, innovative learning strategies for all, structures that support inclusive learning, and counseling for all students for success. The steps that schools may take to replace traditional grouping practices include developing school-based leadership and parental support, providing professional development, and support, creating districtwide commitment, planning for change, phasing in change, and developing supporting policies. In conclusion, schools that have started the untracking process have seen student achievement and self-esteem rise. Sufficient training and resources for teachers and staff is crucial for making for process work. Contains a glossary and nine references. (LMI)

Download or read book Mixed Ability Grouping written by Charles Bailey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book, first published in 1983, explores the argument that justifies mixed ability groupings in schools and the consequences of practicing the different justificatory arguments. The issues to be dealt with by staff making decisions about grouping arrangements in their schools are clearly worked out from basic principles rooted in social philosophy. The ideas of social justice and fraternity, implicit and unexamined in much discussions about mixed-ability grouping are here explained and their limitations and implications described. The issues discussed in this book are not only important for teachers and for those studying to become teachers, but also for school governors, administrators and parents who can gain a better understanding of the school system through this study.

Download or read book The Effects of Ability Grouping in Multi cultural School Situations written by Joseph A. Sarthory and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 590 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Ability Grouping and Student Achievement in Elementary Schools written by Robert E. Slavin and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book School Administrators Perceptions of Ability Grouping in Elementary Middle and High Schools in a Selected Southeastern State written by Boakai Gba Kpinkpin and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book School Culture Rewired written by Steve Gruenert and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2015-01-16 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your school is a lot more than a center of student learning--it also represents a self-contained culture, with traditions and expectations that reflect its unique mission and demographics. In this groundbreaking book, education experts Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker offer tools, strategies, and advice for defining, assessing, and ultimately transforming your school's culture into one that is positive, forward-looking, and actively working to enrich students’ lives. Drawing from decades of research on organizational cultures and school leadership, the authors provide everything you need to optimize both the culture and climate of your school, including * "Culture-busting" strategies to help teachers adopt positive attitudes, outlooks, and behaviors; * A framework for pinpointing the type of culture you have, the type that you want, and the actions you need to take to bridge the two; * Tips for hiring, training, and retaining teachers who will actively work to improve your school's culture; and * Instructions on how to create and implement a successful School Culture Rewiring Team. Though often invisible to the naked eye, a school's culture influences everything that takes place under its roof. Whether your school is urban or rural, prosperous or struggling, School Culture Rewired is the ultimate guide to making sure that the culture in your school is guided first and foremost by what's best for your students.

Download or read book Setting and Streaming written by Wynne Harlen and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using a best evidence synthesis model, this book reviews research conducted in primary/elementary and secondary schools in the United States and in Great Britain on setting and streaming (ways of grouping pupils according to ability). The review concludes that research provides no evidence that student achievement at the primary/elementary school level is raised either by streaming (grouping by general ability) or setting (grouping by subject ability) within the school. Within-class ability grouping at the elementary school level has been found to have advantages for mathematics achievement. At the secondary level, there is no consistent and reliable evidence of positive effects of setting and streaming in any subjects, or for students of particular ability levels. Evidence suggests that teachers sometimes treat mixed-ability groups as though they were low-ability groups and that even experienced teachers frequently use inappropriate whole-class teaching methods with mixed-ability classes. What is important in determining achievement is that the challenge and support given to learners meet their needs. (Contains 168 references.) (KB)

Download or read book Shaping School Culture written by Terrence E. Deal and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-08-29 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most trusted guide to school culture, updated with current challenges and new solutions Shaping School Culture is the classic guide to exceptional school leadership, featuring concrete guidance on influencing the subtle symbolic features of schools that provide meaning, belief, and faith. Written by renowned experts in the area of school culture, this book tackles the increasing challenges facing public schools and provides clear, candid suggestions for more effective symbolic leadership. This new third edition has been revised to reflect the reality of schools today, including the increased emphasis on high-stakes testing, federal reforms such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state sponsored improvement programs, and other major issues that impact organizational culture and the role of school leaders. Each chapter features new examples and cases that illustrate persistent problems, spelling out key cultural implications and offering concrete examples of overcoming the challenges while maintaining a meaningful learning environment. The chapter on toxic schools continues to provide the field's most trusted advice on navigating this rocky terrain, and the discussion's focus on how to manage negativity remains especially integral to besieged school administrators across the U.S. Recent years have jolted the nation's school system with a number of new developments that spell problems for the cultural tapestry of schools. This book provides expert perspective and sage, doable advice for administrators tending to external pressures while sustainingor evolvinga more positive school culture. Navigate new challenges including Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and waning confidence and faith Turn around a toxic school culture with confidence and success Foster a culture of passion, purpose, and meaning Adopt a more active form of symbolic leadership to support students, faculty, staff, parents, and community Test scores as the primary metric, relentless reforms, waning public support, and timid initiatives wrapped in bureaucratic packaging: while among the most prominent issues administrators face are only the tip of the iceberg. Shaping School Culture charts a route through competing pressures to help educational leaders hew a positive learning environment for schools.

Download or read book Methods of Grouping Learners at School written by Vincent Dupriez and published by United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organization. This book was released on 2010 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How should classrooms be formed in a school? What criteria should be used for dividing students up between schools and classes? When is tracking/streaming and ability grouping appropriate in a school system? the author reviews the research of the past decade in order to evaluate the impact of class composition on students' learning. The question of equality of opportunity is also addressed. Although it is one of the fundamental principles of every educational project in the democratic countries, what are the real learning opportunities offered to students? Among the factors that make these opportunities differ between schools, or even between classes, researchers have long studied the question of the influence that each pupil or student has on his or her classmates - the so-called ’peer effect'. Going beyond peer effect within classes, this book also considers the subtle and sometimes unintentional process of adapting the teaching level according To The level of the school, which can lead to inequalities. Beyond a review of the research carried out on these issues, The author tackles related issues of administration and education policy.

Download or read book The Black White Test Score Gap written by Christopher Jencks and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " The test score gap between blacks and whites—on vocabulary, reading, and math tests, as well as on tests that claim to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence--is large enough to have far-reaching social and economic consequences. In their introduction to this book, Christopher Jencks and Meredith Phillips argue that eliminating the disparity would dramatically reduce economic and educational inequality between blacks and whites. Indeed, they think that closing the gap would do more to promote racial equality than any other strategy now under serious discussion. The book offers a comprehensive look at the factors that contribute to the test score gap and discusses options for substantially reducing it. Although significant attempts have been made over the past three decades to shrink the test score gap, including increased funding for predominantly black schools, desegregation of southern schools, and programs to alleviate poverty, the median black American still scores below 75 percent of American whites on most standardized tests. The book brings together recent evidence on some of the most controversial and puzzling aspects of the test score debate, including the role of test bias, heredity, and family background. It also looks at how and why the gap has changed over the past generation, reviews the educational, psychological, and cultural explanations for the gap, and analyzes its educational and economic consequences. The authors demonstrate that traditional explanations account for only a small part of the black-white test score gap. They argue that this is partly because traditional explanations have put too much emphasis on racial disparities in economic resources, both in homes and in schools, and on demographic factors like family structure. They say that successful theories will put more emphasis on psychological and cultural factors, such as the way black and white parents teach their children to deal with things they do not know or understand, and the way black and white children respond to the same classroom experiences. Finally, they call for large-scale experiments to determine the effects of schools' racial mix, class size, ability grouping, and other policies. In addition to the editors, the contributors include Claude Steele, Ronald Ferguson, William G. Bowen, Philip Cook, and William Julius Wilson. "

Download or read book Collective Efficacy written by Jenni Donohoo and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2016-10-21 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Improve student outcomes with collective teacher efficacy. If educators’ realities are filtered through the belief that they can do very little to influence student achievement, then it is likely these beliefs will manifest in their practice. The solution? Collective efficacy (CE)—the belief that, through collective actions, educators can influence student outcomes and increase achievement. Educators with high efficacy show greater effort and persistence, willingness to try new teaching approaches, and attend more closely to struggling students’ needs. This book presents practical strategies and tools for increasing student achievement by sharing: Rationale and sources for establishing CE Conditions and leadership practices for CE to flourish Professional learning structures/protocols

Download or read book Ability Grouping of Public School Students written by Joseph E. Bryson and published by MICHIE. This book was released on 1980 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This treatise for school administrators discusses the issues raised by student classification practices in public schools. Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the equal protection provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment, and major court decisions on the subject are analyzed.

Download or read book School Leadership That Works written by Robert J. Marzano and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2005 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide to the 21 leadership responsibilities that influence student achievement will help school leaders focus on changes that really make a difference.