Download or read book Teachers Perceptions Regarding Best Practices for Raising Academic Achievement of Low Socioeconomic Students written by Laura Atkins-Brady and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research study sought to gain insight into the opinions and perceptions of teachers regarding best practices that are designed to raise academic achievement in a Title I elementary school. This researcher distributed a survey to teachers to solicit their opinions and perceptions. The teachers surveyed were employed at a Title I elementary school in Central California. The survey was composed of 10 statements that the teachers rated using a Likert-type scale. The responses were statistically analyzed using a chi square goodness of fit. This study found that teachers perceive nine out of the ten best practices surveyed as either effective or strongly effective in increasing academic achievement of low socioeconomic students. However, the results of this study found that only 36.1% of the teachers surveyed perceived teacher-created curriculum materials as either effective or strongly effective. Teachers need to be confident that the curriculum materials they are using will raise the academic achievement of their students. More research is needed in order to determine if there are significant differences in achievement between students who use teacher created curriculum materials and those who use published curriculum materials.

Download or read book Teacher Perceptions of Factors Influencing Middle School Student Achievement written by Rochelle Nixon-Green and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The purpose of this case study was to examine an urban middle school demonstrating increased student academic achievement gains and success in helping adolescent students prepare for high school. The research also set out to identify key programs, practices, and instructional strategies that teachers in the study site identified as having a positive impact on student academic, social development, and high school preparedness. Furthermore, this study sought to uncover themes emerging from the examination the programs, practices and instructional strategies identified at the case study school associated with raising student achievement. The focus of the study was narrowed to three key factors associated with student academic success including school-wide programs school-wide practices, and instructional practices. The school selected for this case study was an excellent exemplar of a successful urban middle school dedicated to increasing student achievement for several reasons. Being a part of the relatively large urban district, the school is located in a primarily low socioeconomic neighborhood. The school demonstrates high success in increasing student achievement as can be seen in a three-year trend in academics as measured by the North Carolina Standardized Testing and Reporting Program. has met or exceeded the criteria set for this study defining it as a high performing school for the last three academic years, having made steady academic performance improvement over the past several years as measured by the California Standardized Testing and Reporting Program. The inquiry method employed for this study was the case study approach. Documents were reviewed, observational field notes of site visits were taken, and structured, open-ended interview questions were utilized to uncover factors positively affecting student achievement. A total of nine teachers, one administrator and one curriculum facilitator participated in the interview process. To ensure effective triangulation of the research data, a quantitative survey was used to support the principals' and teachers' interview responses. A total of 12 teachers at the case study school completed the questionnaire surveys. Data analysis uncovered three major themes associated with increasing student achievement, including a culture of support for students, the setting of high academic expectations for students, and the establishment of school-wide systems and structures. Use of Bolman and Deal's four frames paradigm provided the theoretical support for the analysis, interpretation of the data gathered at the case study school, and identification of implications for further study."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

Download or read book What Successful Schools Do to Involve Families written by Paula Jameson Whitney and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From traditional forms of communication—such as open houses, parent-teacher conferences, and fundraising efforts—to hot-button topics such as bullying and discipline, this book helps educators bridge the gap between school and home.

Download or read book School Effectiveness and School Improvement written by Louise Stoll and published by Institute of Education. This book was released on 1995 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last decade has seen a burgeoning of interest in the twin fields of school effectiveness and school improvement by politicians, policy makers and practitioners. For some, the drive has been to raise standards and increase accountability through inspection and assessment measures, believing that the incentive of accountability and market competition will lead to improvement. Alternatively, reform and restructuring have led many people in schools to create their own agenda and ask, ‘How do we know that what we are doing makes a positive difference to our pupils?’ and, ‘What can we do to provide pupils with the best possible education?’ This paper explores the two paradigms that underpin notions of school effectiveness and school improvement. We start with their definitions and aims. Key factors of effectiveness and improvement are examined and fundamental issues discussed. We conclude with a description of attempts to link the two areas of work.

Download or read book Closing the Achievement Gap written by Belinda Williams and published by ASCD. This book was released on 1996-10-15 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's no secret that students attending urban schools in the United States do not fare as well on measures of achievement as their rural and suburban counterparts. According to Belinda Williams and her coauthors, this gap is largely due to a little acknowledged fact: that poor and minority students bring culturally distinct values and beliefs to the classroom that are often incompatible with the biases inherent in the curriculum, assessment measures, and teachers themselves. This second edition of Closing the Achievement Gap argues that if education reform is to work, educators must become more sensitive to the worldviews of disadvantaged students--and to incorporate this awareness into their day-to-day work. Teachers, principals, and legislators must * Learn about cultural perceptions of human development, * Apply this knowledge to professional development and comprehensive reform, and * Align political policy accordingly. In addition to providing a framework for meeting these challenges, this book offers specific suggestions for bridging the cultural divide through such diverse methods as direct vocabulary instruction, opportunity-to-learn strategies, and school-level organizational reform. Thoroughly researched and eloquently written, it is a vital resource for ensuring that students of all backgrounds succeed equally well in the classroom.

Download or read book Methods in Educational Research written by Marguerite G. Lodico and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-04-07 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Methods in Educational Research Methods in Educational Research is designed to prepare students for the real world of educational research. It focuses on scientifically-based methods, school accountability, and the professional demands of the twenty-first century, empowering researchers to take an active role in conducting research in their classrooms, districts, and the greater educational community. Like the first edition, this edition helps students, educators, and researchers develop a broad and deep understanding of research methodologies. It includes substantial new content on the impact of No Child Left Behind legislation, school reform, quantitative and qualitative methodologies, logic modeling, action research, and other areas. Special features to assist the teaching and learning processes include vignettes illustrating research tied to practice, suggested readings at the end of each chapter, and discussion questions to reinforce chapter content. Praise for the Previous Edition "A new attempt to make this subject more relevant and appealing to students. Most striking is how useful this book is because it is really grounded in educational research. It is very well written and quite relevant for educational researchers or for the student hoping to become one." -PsycCRITIQUES/American Psychological Association "I applaud the authors for their attempt to cover a wide range of material. The straightforward language of the book helps make the material understandable for readers." -Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation

Download or read book Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap written by Ruth S. Johnson and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2002-06-25 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Dr. Johnson′s work provides both the philosophical and practical blueprint for transforming public schools into the learning communities we want and need. Leaders will find the book to be the most useful document to guide and inform their efforts to close the gap and maximize learning for all students." Joseph Burke, Superintendent of Schools Springfield Public Schools Springfield, MA "If the goal of all students reaching high standards is to be met, Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap should be required reading for all teachers and administrators. It should also be an integral part of the course of study for those preparing to teach in the United States." Vinetta C. Jones, Dean School of Education, Howard University "From Johnson′s penetrating analysis of current research, policies, and practices, and her wealth of experiences working with school districts around the nation, she clearly makes the connection between using data and achieving equitable outcomes as districts and schools struggle to close the achievement gap." Aukram Burton, Diversity/Multicultural Specialist Gheen Professional Development Academy Louisville, KY "This book represents a significant contribution to the national debate around school reform. Ruth Johnson presents a thoughtful, well-documented treatise on how educators, policymakers, and parents can use data to set achievement goals and to measure progress towards these goals." Walter Allen, Professor Department of Sociology, UCLA Exercise the power of data to identify and rectify educational inequalities! Student populations are diverse—however, their access to knowledge and success should not be. Unfortunately, statistics show that real disparities do exist in academic achievement, which consistently coincide with income level and race. In this comprehensive guide, Ruth S. Johnson highlights compelling evidence that these inequities can be linked to school practices that inadvertently increase inequities. The solution to this pervasive problem lies in the collection and examination of appropriate data, and this book shows readers how. This updated edition of Setting Our Sights: Measuring Equity in School Change now includes current studies, policies, and practices, and provides new sections on data dialogues and school indicators. It offers valuable assistance for understanding, visioning, planning, and executing tactics that can successfully close the gap in student achievement, including: Straightforward and in-depth discussions of the five stages for equity reform Clear and easy-to-understand explanations of research findings Practical tools including questionnaires, surveys, forms, and models Tips for effectively gathering, analyzing, and applying data Johnson shows how data is instrumental not only in targeting areas for improvement, but also in offering insights into the necessary steps to foster positive change and create a culture of high achievement for all students, especially those students who have traditionally been overlooked. An indispensable reference for any school undergoing a quality review process, this reader-friendly manual presents practical how-to′s for analyzing data and developing a strategy that empowers teachers and administrators with an equal opportunity for success.

Download or read book Creating the Opportunity to Learn written by A. Wade Boykin and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2011 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Creating the Opportunity to Learn, Wade Boykin and Pedro Noguera help navigate the waters of evidence-based methodologies and chart a course toward closing (and eliminating) the academic achievement gap. The authors maintain that it is possible to close the gap by abandoning failed strategies, learning from successful schools, and simply doing more of what the research shows is most effective. --From publisher's description.

Download or read book Opportunity and Performance written by Sam Redding and published by IAP. This book was released on 2021-07-01 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Because everyone from policymakers to classroom teachers has a role in achieving greater equity for children from poverty, this book provides a sweeping chronicle of the historical turning points—judicial, legislative, and regulatory—on the road to greater equity, as background to the situation today. It provides succinct policy recommendations for states and districts, as well as practical curricular and instructional strategies for districts, schools, and teachers. This comprehensive approach—from the statehouse to the classroom—for providing children who come to school from impoverished environments with the education in which they thrive, not merely one that is comparable to others, truly enlists everyone in the quest for opportunity and performance. The next step toward equity may be taken by a governor, but it may also be taken by a teacher. One need not wait for the other. Press Relaease Redding, S. (Ed.). (2021). Opportunity and performance: Equity for children from poverty. Information Age. Copyright: Academic Development Institute • historical and legislative background for understanding current situation • analysis of poverty’s impact on learning from multiple perspectives • likely effects of COVID pandemic on learning and what to do about it • proximal (classroom) and distal (system) levers for change • actionable steps for teachers, schools, districts, states • what can be done to disrupt poverty’s impact on learning, "right here, right now” • disproportionately positive effects (DPEs) of high-impact strategies • goalposts for measurement of progress by schools, districts, states • glossary of terms and discussion prompts Last year, 2021, saw a host of books and articles addressing aspects of “equity,” some mounting the bandwagon of advocacy and some arguing what the term itself actually means. But where were the clear-eyed analyses and practical solutions for educators? After more than a year of focused attention to equity by five education scholars, their book, Opportunity & Performance, entered this stream of publications. The team is associated with the Academic Development Institute and their collaboration was supported by the National Comprehensive Center. This book is unique and distinct from others in several ways. First, the authors agreed early on to put boundaries around a topic that could otherwise run loose with ambiguity. As they were all educators, the book would focus on equity in education. As equity could be viewed from the perspective of a variety of groups that seek it—racial and ethnic groups, children with disabilities, and English learners prominent among them—the team of authors chose to devote the book to the one historically underserved group that most pervasively suffers in terms of academic achievement and that includes the other groups. That group is children from poverty. The five authors are not only researchers, their careers bristle with experience in schools and agencies that work with schools. From different disciplinary fields within education, they have all created and implemented strategies to improve learning and to measure that improvement. The authors were determined to logically and persuasively link their conclusions from the research on poverty, on learning, and on the nexus of the two. They wanted the book to be useful. They sought a respectful tone that would encourage common ground and constructive action to open doors of opportunity and achieve greater learning for students from impoverished environments. The book’s authors and external advisors brought to the work a diversity of professional background and expertise on historically underserved students, children from poverty, effective instruction, systems change, and methods for evaluating progress. Equity of opportunity: Each student—despite family income, race, ethnicity, gender, language, or disability—has the opportunity to attend schools, access courses and programs, and be taught by teachers that meet standards of quality on a par with schools attended by their peers. Equity of performance: The schools, courses, programs, and teachers that serve students from historically underserved groups reorient their curriculum, instruction, and support services to ameliorate disadvantages these students may disproportionately bear, optimizing learning results for these students. The Book's Authors Linda Cavazos, Ph.D., is a researcher and technical assistance provider with more than 25 years of experience in education supporting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners and directing projects in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, literacy, and cultural and linguistic competence, responsiveness, and sustainability. Allison Layland, Ph.D., is the Chief Education Strategist for the Academic Development Institute (ADI) with projects in several regional centers. She has con¬sulted with 11 state education agencies on effective implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and has more than 20 years of teaching and leadership experience in general and special education at the school, district, and state levels. Sam Redding, Ed.D., is Chief Learning Scientist and a consultant to three regional centers. Dr. Redding also served as the Associate Director of the Center on School Turnaround (WestEd) and as Senior Learning Specialist for the Center on Innovations in Learning (Temple University), and Director of the Center on Innovation & Improvement. As a Senior Research Associate at the Laboratory for Student Success, he headed the Lab’s research and implementation of comprehensive school reform. Janet S. Twyman, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA, Dr. Twyman is a consultant for the Academic Development Institute. Throughout her career as a preschool and elementary teacher, school principal and administrator, university professor, instructional designer, distance learning architect, and educational consultant, Dr. Twyman has been a proponent of effective learning tech¬nologies that produce individual and system change. She has presented to and worked with education systems, organizations, and institutions in over 50 states and countries, including speaking about technologies for diverse learners and settings at the United Nations. Bi Vuong, MPA, is the Managing Director, Education Practice with Project Evident. Before joining Project Evident, Bi was the Director of Proving Ground at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. She also launched the National Center for Rural Education Research Network. Prior to Proving Ground, she served as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the School District of Philadelphia. Bi serves as a consultant for the Academic Development Institute with project assignments for several regional centers. The Book’s External Advisors Patricia Edwards, Ph.D. is professor of language and literacy at Michigan State University, a member of the Reading Hall of Fame, with research and publications on multicultural literacy, parent involvement, and related topics, especially among poor and minority children. Sheneka Williams, Ph.D. is professor and chairperson of the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University with a outstanding body of research on educational opportunity for African American students. T. V. (Joe) Layng, Ph.D. is a behavioral scientist with a distinguished career in research and practice, advancing learning through effective instruction for diverse students; Dr. Layng’s work focuses on the integration of technology with instructional design and systemic behavior interventions. Contact: Dr. Sam Redding at [email protected]

Download or read book Can Best Practices Guided by Instructional Leaders and Data driven Support Programs Help Close the Achievement Gap for Under represented Students written by Panfilo Villegas and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigated the effectiveness of best practices guided by instructional leaders to help close the achievement gap for English Language Learners and low socioeconomic, Special Education and at-risk students. More specifically, the purpose of the study was to determine attitudes of teachers, counselors and administrators regarding their perspective on closing the achievement gap at a designated Southern California high school. The sample included 116 participants and focused on their perceptions of best practices or multiple resources that would effectively support under-represented students to close the achievement gap. The study yielded two important results. First, there is a need for the leadership team to establish a vision that promotes equity, high expectations, and an individualistic mindset to succeed. Second, although programs are in place to help close the achievement gap at this high school, participants shared their attitudes through open-ended questions that some students were not attending regularly or taking advantage of the academic instruction support. The study participants noted a need for students to be more motivated to attend support sessions. Based on the research study, educational leaders need to be cognizant of developing a vision that includes instructional practices focused on closing the achievement gap for under-represented students. KEY WORDS: achievement gap, best practices, early intervention, instructional leadership, school vision, under-represented students

Download or read book Achievement Gap in Public School Education written by Ndieze Nnawuchi and published by Tate Publishing. This book was released on 2010-12 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last one hundred years, scholars, parents, and politicians have theorized about the cause of the achievement gap between white students and their minority counterparts in the United States K-12 school systems. While a variety of solutions have been proposed and implemented, the gap has continued to persist. Why does this gap exist in the United States? How does the United States educational model compare to the efforts of other nations throughout the world? How much longer can the United States continue to throw money at the achievement gap problem? Author Ndieze Nnawuchi proposes new possibilities for why this gap exists as well as refuting some commonly perceived notions in his thesis, The Achievement Gap in Public Schools . He closely examines the cultural context of education in the United States and how that affects educational outcomes, leading to the development of a new educational model.

Download or read book The Psychology of Working written by David Blustein and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-01-11 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this original and major new work, David Blustein places working at the same level of attention for social and behavioral scientists and psychotherapists as other major life concerns, such as intimate relationships, physical and mental health, and socio-economic inequities. He also provides readers with an expanded conceptual framework within which to think about working in human development and human experience. As a result, this creative new synthesis enriches the discourse on working across the broad spectrum of psychology's concerns and agendas, and especially for those readers in career development, counseling, and policy-related fields. This textbook is ideal for use in graduate courses on counseling and work or vocational counseling.

Download or read book Understanding Poverty in the Classroom written by Beth Lindsay Templeton and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2011-05-16 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People who live in poverty consider life in different ways than those who have adequate basic resources. Many educators tend to see the world through their middle-class worldview. Because of this, they do not understand these significant and often rational differences. They may misinterpret behavior they see and ascribe negative connotations to how their students are reacting. Their assumptions can affect the quality of both the teaching and the learning that happens. Most teachers have real passion for educating their students but their experiences limit how they relate to the challenges some of their students face daily. Understanding Poverty in the Classroom: * Identifies perceptual differences * Teaches strategies to address the special needs of children from poverty * Encourages teachers to learn about the neighborhoods where their students live and what to look for in those areas * Confronts myths about poverty and reinforces learning with specific illustrations This resource is interactive with exercises that increase the reader's learning and provides specific tools to improve the educational process for teachers, students, and parents.

Download or read book Combating the Achievement Gap written by Teresa Hill and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-06-13 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite 30 years of school reform, the achievement gap between African American students, Latino students, students in poverty and white middle class students persists. Too often, well-meaning teachers, leaders and policymakers inadvertently contribute to the perpetuation of the achievement gap through daily practices. Teresa D. Hill, a practitioner with experience as a teacher and leader in diverse schools, examines the structures, messages, attitudes and beliefs in schools that perpetuate the idea that failure is a default for African American, Latino, and low-income students. She then discusses the practical actions that educators and leaders can take to end failure as a default in their schools. Combatting the Achievement Gap empowers educators and leaders to make meaningful change in the educational outcomes of African American, Latino, and low-income children by addressing structures, messages, attitudes and beliefs that are within educators’ sphere of influence. It will be of interest to school and district leaders, teachers, and policymakers seeking to address the achievement gap as well as teacher educators and researchers with an interest in education and social justice.

Download or read book Professional School Counseling written by Rosemary Thompson and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2012-04-27 with total page 590 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today’s children and adolescents are constantly facing new and unique challenges, and school counselors must respond to this by expanding their role and function within the schools. This revised and expanded edition of Thompson’s important text explores these issues, as well as the necessary steps school counselors need to take in order to adapt and effectively deal with them. Thompson advocates for the need for standards-based school counseling, outlining the framework and benefits of the ASCA National Model® and comprehensive guidance and counseling programs. She addresses the newest research in implementing evidence-based practices; the mental health issues that may be faced by children and adolescents; consulting with teachers, parents, administrators, and the community; and crisis intervention and management. New to this edition are chapters that focus on minority and disenfracnshised students and emphasize the need for school counselors to be able to advocate, coordinate, and collaborate on services for these students and their families. This is an essential resource for every school counselor in a time when the profession is becoming increasingly important.

Download or read book Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children written by Olivia N. Saracho and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-01-17 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children is the essential reference on research on early childhood education throughout the world. This singular resource provides a comprehensive overview of important contemporary issues as well as the information necessary to make informed judgments about these issues. The field has changed significantly since the publication of the second edition, and this third edition of the handbook takes care to address the entirety of vital new developments. A valuable tool for all those who work and study in the field of early childhood education, this volume addresses critical, cutting edge research on child development, curriculum, policy, and research and evaluation strategies. With a multitude of new and updated chapters, The Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children, 3rd Edition makes the expanding knowledge base related to early childhood education readily available and accessible.

Download or read book Teacher Thinking in Cultural Contexts written by Francisco A. Rios and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1996-03-14 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Francisco Rios' book sheds light on current scholarship around teacher thinking in cultural contexts and identifies promising practices that take into account context specific influences. He provides a theoretical and conceptual framework for understanding why teacher cognition as a context specific phenomenon is important, how it is studied, what can be learned, and how these learnings inform the preparation of culturally responsive educators. The contributors look at how teachers think about students of color and/or a multicultural curriculum and explore opportunities for reconstructing teacher knowledge of the cultural context. Rather than focusing on ways in which the students are "deficient," or on the behavioral elements of effective teaching, this book starts with the how and what of teacher thinking as a central element in the teaching-learning relationship. It places the teacher at the center of instructional activity. While teacher thought influences what happens in instructional settings, teacher thought is also influenced by the people and activity critical to those settings.