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Closing the Achievement Gap
Abstract
Describes successful school and state efforts to close the achievement gap in low-income, high-minority schools. Suggests four principal-initiated actions to replicate these efforts: Take responsibility for closing achievement gap; use standards to reshape curriculum and instruction; find ways to provide extra instruction for student who need it; assign the strongest teachers to students who need them most. (PKP)
... On the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress reading assessment, 40% of white fourth graders scored at or above proficient level, compared to only 12% and 16% of their African American and Hispanic peers (No Child Left Behind, n.d.). A reported 1 in 50 Latinos and 1 in 100 African American 17 year olds are able to read and obtain knowledge from specialized text (e.g., science section in a newspaper) compared to approximately in 1 in 12 Whites (Haycock & Craig, 2002). Relatively similar patterns are observed with mathematics, with 1 in 30 Latinos and 1 in 100 African American 17 ...
... year olds being able to comfortably conduct multi-step math problems and beginning algebra compared to 1 in 10 Whites (Haycock & Craig, 2002). Once again, national assessment data indicates that African American and Hispanic children lag behind their white counterparts in math with 35% of white fourth graders scoring at or above proficient level compared to 5% of African Americans and 10% of Hispanics (No Child Left Behind, n.d.). ...
... The achievement gap between minority and majority students expands into the "attainment gap" following graduation from high school. Higher rates of high school completion are seen amongst Whites (90%) and Asians (94%) than African Americans (81%) and Latinos (63%) (Haycock & Craig, 2002). African Americans and Latinos are also less likely to have earned a bachelors degree by age 29 in comparison to Whites (Haycock & Craig, 2002). ...
... Given that increasing numbers of jobs require knowledge related to science and technology, it stands to reason that workplace related learning in these fields should contribute an increasing share of public knowledge of these fields (Bayer, 2012). Also of long standing concern by many in the education field has been the influence of privilege and equity, especially the impact on science learning that factors such as income, race, ethnicity, and gender might play (Bayer, 2012; Demie, Butler, & Taplin, 2002; Haycock, 2001; Howard, 2002; National Research Council, 2012; Pellino, 2001; Sacker, Schoon, & Bartley, 2002). Most scholars, therefore, would conclude that the primary influences on public knowledge of science and technology are likely to be contributions made by one or some combination of formal schooling, informal out-of-school experiences , workplace activities, and socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., income, race, gender). ...
... There is an alternative possibility for explaining adult learning and knowledge of science and technology that is not directly attributable to many of these other sources. More important for explaining adult knowledge of science and technology may be socioeconomic or demographic factors such as an individual's income, race, ethnicity, and gender (e.g., Demie et al., 2002; Haycock, 2001; Howard, 2002; Pellino, 2001; Sacker et al., 2002). Individuals with privilege and opportunity such as those from the majority population (e.g., in the U.S., being white), males, and those with higher income or social status may have the most knowledge of science and technology regardless of sources of this knowledge. ...
Historically, most efforts to improve public knowledge of science and technology have focused on improvements in K-12 schooling, although post-secondary education and informal education have also been mentioned as important factors. Currently, little empirical data exist to determine how or when to best leverage science and technology education energies and resources. This article examines a range of factors potentially contributing to adult knowledge of science and technology. Results from a telephone survey of 1,018 adult residents in greater Los Angeles, California (United States) showed that adult free-choice learning experiences such as reading books and magazines about science and technology, using the internet, and watching science related documentaries and videos were the strongest predictors of self-reported knowledge of science and technology. Privilege, especially higher income and being male, was also an important factor, as were workplace experiences and childhood experiences outside of school. Although formal schooling was a significant predictor of this knowledge, it explained less variance in knowledge than most other factors. This research provides initial data on which to base discussions about how best to support public education in science and technology. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50: 431-452, 2013
... Though social scientists consistently note the existence and persistence of race-based achievement gaps in several educational outcomes, from grade point averages (GPAs) to standardized tests and graduation rates (Dunham and Wilson 2007;Farley 2003;Green 2001;Haycock 2001;Hunn 2014;Jeynes 2011), there is some disagreement about the underlying causes and, hence, suggestions about how to bridge these gaps. Researchers focusing on the intersecting effects of economic inequality and race, for example, argue the gap would naturally close by providing schools and families with the economic resources they need (Harvey 2008;Rothstein 2004). ...
Students often identify research methods classes as one of the most difficult and intimidating classes of their academic career. The objectives of this study were twofold. The first was to ascertain whether the use of group-centered, collaborative learning would improve student mastery of material compared to traditional, lecture-based classes. The second objective was to examine a possible differential impact of collaborative learning by race. The study measured students’ mastery of basic concepts in research methods as well as their application of the material to novel situations by comparing their competence at the beginning to their performance on the same measures at the midterm and final exams. Findings highlight the importance of examining race as a factor in the study of the effectiveness of collaborative learning and, more specifically, point to a need to further test the hypothesis that collaborative learning pedagogy techniques can ameliorate race-based achievement gaps in student performance.
... The department redesigned its school administration preparation program to embed research and practices that impact the disparaging and racially predictable gap in student achievement. Acknowledging the existence of the achievement gap is cited as one of the most important steps leaders can take to address equity work in their buildings (Kafele, 2014;Haycock & Jerald, 2002;Wooleyhand, 2013). More progress towards closing the achievement gap has been noted in schools that are intentional about addressing the existence of and need to close the gap than in schools who did not make such clear and intentional decisions. ...
By their very nature, Colleges of Education have a heightened level of responsibility and opportunity to impact racism as they not only prepare future educators but also support current educators. As dean of a College of Education, I have been involved in strategic planning, goal setting, and data analysis that on the surface reflects an effort to address cultural competency and the need for preparing a more diverse pool of educators; however, the AERA message jolted me into more closely examining whether or not the college is truly meeting its obligations and having an impact on the existing racial disparity in education. With a heightened awareness and sense of urgency, the college is intent on more actively advancing its role and responsibility to impact racial equity, holding fast to AERA’s message and, more broadly, to Ron Edmonds words shared in a 1978 speech, Some Schools Work and More Can: “We can whenever, and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need, in order to do this. Whether we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far” (Education Advisory, 2007).
... A quality teacher can negate the effects of a student's socio-economic status and lead to increased student outcomes (Darling-Hammond, 1997; Porter-Magee, 2004). Additionally, no adults are more important to student success than teachers (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2005a; Haycock, 2001; Wechsler, Tiffany-Morales, Campbell, Humphrey, Kim, & Shields, 2007). The importance of teacher quality is further exemplified by research that determined teacher expertise and certification are better predictors of student success than class size, teacher salaries, and per-student spending (Darling-Hammond, 1997). ...
This study is a report of the relationship between a collaborative school culture, teacher quality and the influence these variables have upon student attendance and suspensions. The research is based upon data gathered from 50 public schools throughout the southeastern United States. Surveys were administered to examine teacher quality characteristics, elements of educational leadership, and components of a collaborative school culture. Data were analyzed in relation to teacher input characteristics such as certification, years teaching, percentage teaching out of field, and highest degree obtained. The findings revealed that as teacher collaboration increased, the model predicted that student suspensions would decrease by 6.709%. In addition, the model predicted that when the percentage of out-of-field teachers within a school increased, student suspensions would decrease by 0.16%. Finally, as the percentage of non-certified teachers within a school increased, the student suspension percentage increased by .22%. The findings offer valuable insight into the characteristics of quality teaching and school culture that demonstrate the greatest impact on student attendance and suspensions and may influence educational policy, teacher training, educational leadership, and school reform initiatives.
... Post hoc analysis with a Bonferroni correction applied indicated Caucasian students scored 20 to 30 percentile ranks higher on the Stanford science test when compared with any other ethnic group in this study. This supported previous research that showed historical achievement gaps between minority groups and Caucasians have been fairly wide, with Caucasian scores on standardized tests being consistently higher (Haycock and Jerald, 2002;Ravitch, 1995). Since all of the Caucasian students (totaling 1.7% of the total population) were in the control group, Caucasian students were removed from further analysis to ensure ethnicity did not affect the results of this study. ...
The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Schoolyard Habitat Program (SYHP) had an effect on the science standardized test scores or science grades of fourth-grade primary school students in Houston, TX. To conduct the study, five pairs of Houston elementary schools were selected as either treatment or control schools. The treatment group included a total of 148 fourth-grade students whose teachers reported using the NWF's SYHP. The control group consisted of a total of 248 fourth-grade students whose teachers used a traditional science curriculum. To measure academic achievement, scores on a standardized science test and science grades were compared between the treatment and control students. Results from this study indicated Caucasian students scored higher than minority students on the Stanford standardized science exam. Significant differences existed in the Stanford standardized science exam scores between male and female students for the treatment group only. Overall, the results from this study also showed that the SYHP was equally as effective at science instruction as the traditional curriculum within the Houston Independent School District (HISD) after teachers gained familiarity with using the habitat for instruction.
... Several studies have shown that when teachers teach for conceptual and procedural understanding, rather than focusing solely on computational fluency, student achievement improves (Haycock, 2001; Knapp, 1995; Newmann & Associates, 1996). But because teachers themselves learned mathematics through a system that emphasized procedural fluency, many teachers currently lack the conceptual basis to teach conceptually. ...
Several studies have shown that when teachers teach for conceptual and procedural understanding, rather than focusing solely on computational fluency, student achievement improves (Haycock, 2001; Knapp, 1995; Newmann & Associates, 1996). But because teachers themselves learned mathematics through a system that emphasized procedural fluency, many teachers currently lack the conceptual basis to teach conceptually. There is thus a need for high-quality professional development that gives teachers both the knowledge and the pedagogical tools to teach for deep mathematical understanding. This chapter describes one successful effort to develop and implement a professional development framework that models what teaching for understanding looks like while deepening teachers’ own conceptual content knowledge.
... Despite the dismal observations about schools, we know that there are effective schools successfully meeting the needs of low-income students by helping them develop both socially and academically (Blankstein & Noguera, 2004;Finn, Chester, & Manno, 1998). The successes of these schools have been attributed to their ability to foster and support the capacity of schools through good teaching and learning while confronting external issues simultaneously (Haycock, 2001). In other words, these successful schools devise strategies that support a widereaching approach to educating children while mitigating the effect of outside negative factors (Dean & Galloway, 2008;McCann, 2000). ...
This article describes a broader, bolder approach to education reform aimed at addressing the social and economic disadvantages that hinder student achievement. Central principles of this approach to reform include the provision of supports such as early childhood and preschool programs, after-school and summer enrichment programs, parent education programs, and school-based or school-linked health services. The authors discuss expanded partnership roles and three priority areas for school counselors to meet the needs of students and address the social, economic, and other barriers that hinder students' learning: (a) engage families and community members in their children's education, (b) partner to provide high-quality P-12 enrichment and out-of-school programs, and (c) collaborate to connect children to health services.
... For instance, in 2009, the average NAEP mathematics scores for 12th-grade White students was 161, for African American students was 131, and for Hispanic American students was 138 (USDOE, 2011). This academic lag, often referred to as the achievement gap, exists regardless of socioeconomic status (SES), gender, or geographic location (Haycock, 2001). There is a need to address these issues so that teachers can effectively teach students from diverse backgrounds. ...
As the United States strives to meet the challenges of improving the academic achievement of African American students in large urban school districts, researchers are beginning to examine cultural awareness and beliefs of urban teachers. The present study used a parallel mixed methods design to examine the score-validity and score-reliability of a cultural awareness and beliefs inventory (CABI). This 46-item inventory measured the perceptions of 1,253 urban teachers. Specifically, the CABI measured urban teachers’ cultural awareness and beliefs about their African American students. Construct validity was addressed by establishing internal consistency and content-related, structural, and substantive validities derived from analyses of two data strands. Implications of the study for policy makers, administrators, and educators, and directions for future research are provided.
... Post hoc analysis with a Bonferroni correction applied indicated Caucasian students scored 20 to 30 percentile ranks higher on the Stanford science test when compared with any other ethnic group in this study. This supported previous research that showed historical achievement gaps between minority groups and Caucasians have been fairly wide, with Caucasian scores on standardized tests being consistently higher (Haycock and Jerald, 2002;Ravitch, 1995). Since all of the Caucasian students (totaling 1.7% of the total population) were in the control group, Caucasian students were removed from further analysis to ensure ethnicity did not affect the results of this study. ...
The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in the National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitat Program (SYHP) had an effect on the standardized science test scores and individual classroom science grades of fourth grade primary public school students in Houston, TX. To conduct the study, five pairs of Houston elementary schools were matched by city vicinity, as well as student demographics of ethnicity and economics. The treatment group included a total of 306 fourth grade students whose teachers were using the National Wildlife Federation’s SYHP. The control group consisted of a total of 370 fourth grade students whose teachers used a more traditional curriculum. To measure academic achievement, standardized test score (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) were compared between the treatment and control groups. Treatment and control group classroom science grades were also compared using a science test. Participation and activity within the garden habitats by individual classroom treatment group teachers were considered in analyses. In addition, students were subjected to a test seeking their feelings on the environment and their effect on it. Results indicate the value of outdoor experimental learning in garden settings to student learning.
... Conventional wisdom points to students' socioeconomic status or family contributions as the greatest determinants of performance in school; however, research has increasingly shown that while these factors are important and play a role, teacher quality matters most. A study of Boston Public Schools showed that students taught by the top third of Boston teachers dramatically outperformed students taught by the bottom third of teachers (Haycock, 2001). A Harvard study examined the student achievement outcomes of districts that initially hired teachers from the top of the hiring pool and then began hiring teachers from the bottom of the hiring pool, and vice versa. ...
... This may require redistribution of resources—for example, allotting more funds to better support special education students' learning. Beyond finances, equity for teachers may mean redistributing resources of time and attention to students in particular need, and differentiating supports for learners to ensure equitable outcomes (Haycock, 2001). Critics of such work argue that it attends so much to those in need that those better prepared receive inferior education . ...
Background/Context: New teachers face an array of challenges in today's schools. Even when teachers leave credential programs with useful preparation, early-career jobs and con-texts shape and constrain teachers' goals and practice related to teaching diverse learners. Becoming change agents can be a tall order. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: Considering this context, we sought to understand how graduates of one teacher credential program appear prepared to advocate for educational equity in their new jobs by asking three questions: (1) What challenges do new teachers identify in classes and schools that require advocacy for some youth? (2) In what ways do they respond to such challenges? and (3) What enables these acts of advocacy? Research Design: A total of 38 graduates, all currently teaching, participated in five sepa-rate 3-hour focus groups of 5–10 teachers each. We used focus groups as a research tool to triangulate a range of other data, including artifacts and surveys. We sought teachers' deep reflections on practice, on their preparation for advocacy work, and on their professional needs. We transcribed focus group discussions then subjected these to a series of procedures, including analysis of content and themes of teachers' narratives. Findings/Results: Teachers reported actions to address equity in a range of sites, with the classroom as the core site for teachers' advocacy work. In complex narratives, teachers reported trying to meet learning needs of diverse students. English language learners' needs especially prompted acts of advocacy in and beyond the classroom. These included instruc-tional tailoring, out-of-class tutorials, hunts for better texts and tests, a library field trip,
... For instance, in 2009, the average NAEP mathematics scores for 12th-grade White students was 161, for African American students was 131, and for Hispanic American students was 138 (USDOE, 2011). This academic lag, often referred to as the achievement gap, exists regardless of socioeconomic status (SES), gender, or geographic location (Haycock, 2001). There is a need to address these issues so that teachers can effectively teach students from diverse backgrounds. ...
As the United States strives to meet the challenges of improving the academic achievement of African American students in large urban school districts, researchers are beginning to examine cultural awareness and beliefs of urban teachers. The present study used a parallel mixed methods design to examine the score-validity and score-reliability of a cultural awareness and beliefs inventory (CABI). This 46-item inventory measured the perceptions of 1,253 urban teachers. Specifi cally, the CABI measured urban teachers' cultural awareness and beliefs about their African American students. Construct validity was addressed by establishing internal consistency and content-related, structural, and substantive validities derived from analyses of two data strands. Implications of the study for policy makers, administrators, and educators, and directions for future research are provided.
... This includes the increased likelihood of lower-income students having been taught by high school teachers unqualified to teach STEM-related subjects (Haycock, 2001), ability grouping into less challenging courses of study (Atwood, 2000), and the use of pedagogies that neither leverage the power of technology nor students' own cultural experiences (Upadhyay, 2005). ...
Using Social Cognitive Career Theory as a guide, we explored the relationship between students' participation in living-learning programs and their intention to earn a baccalaureate in STEM. We found that STEM-focused programs, in comparison to general forms, held promise in supporting students' intentions to graduate in a STEM field.
Teachers' attitudes toward their students have been associated with differential teachers' expectations and, in turn, with students' educational pathways. Theories of social cognition can explain the link between attitudes and behavior. In this regard, the distinction between implicit and explicit attitudes is worth to be considered, whereby implicit attitudes are automatically activated when the attitude object is present and guide automatic behavior. In contrast, explicit attitudes infer deliberation and reflection, hence affecting controlled behavior. As teachers often are required to act immediately in situations that do not allow for thoughtful reflection due to time restraints, teachers' implicit attitudes concerning different student groups with shared characteristics, such as gender or ethnicity, may be especially important when considering teachers' behavior in relation to students' educational pathways. This notion is reflected by an increased interest in adopting implicit methodology in the educational domain. Over the last 10 years, several studies have been conducted in different countries, involving in-and pre-service teachers and investigating their attitudes toward different student groups. Estimates of effects have varied and may be affected by sampling bias. To systematically review and integrate data from different studies, this meta-analysis focuses on teachers' implicit attitudes. Following the systematic search of the database and initial screening, 43 articles were identified from which 22, describing 34 studies, were retained for the meta-analysis after further inspection. First analyses revealed an estimated average effect size of 0.56 for implicit attitudes in favor of non-marginalized groups. As there was a large extent of heterogeneity between studies, several moderator variables were investigated. Results showed that the employed implicit measure and stimulus materials as well as the student target group affected the effect sizes. Low or non-significant relationships were reported between implicit and explicit attitudes. Findings are discussed in terms of theory and future research.
Since the conception of education in the United States, schools have been the battlegrounds for equal opportunities among African American students. In an effort to improve educational options and achievement for such students, charter schools have emerged as a popular solution for African American parents. Findings from this study shed light on the experiences of African American parents who enrolled their children in Bass Charter Academy. The level of hope that was evident from the parent narratives centered on nonquantitative measures such as cultural pride and caring environments and mirrored that of pre-Brown schools that served African American students.
The aims of the current paper were (a) to investigate preservice teachers’ own ethnic background as a factor that affects attitudes and (b) to investigate the influence of an activation of teacher efficacy on attitudes toward students from ethnic minority groups. In a quasi-experimental design, implicit and explicit attitudes were assessed before the preservice teachers filled out a teacher efficacy questionnaire and in another group, attitudes were assessed after the questionnaire. Results showed that, in comparison with preservice teachers from the ethnic majority, the preservice teachers from ethnic minority groups had more favorable implicit and explicit attitudes toward students from ethnic minority groups. Activating participants’ teacher efficacy did not affect attitudes of the preservice teachers from the ethnic majority, but it lowered positive implicit attitudes of preservice teachers from ethnic minority groups. The results highlight the need to explore factors that are able to change attitudes in either direction.
Where children live in the Halifax region does have a strong bearing on the quality of their education, this AIMS research report demonstrates, using data gleaned from published school-by-school student results. School district policies from 2009 to 2018, such as “Good Schools to Great Schools” and the “Priority Schools” initiative, addressed the the educational inequities, but little changed in the trajectory of student achievement. Based upon a comparative analysis of reported test results in 119 Primary to Grade 9 schools, the study not only identifies the top performing schools, struggling schools, and most improved schools, but proposes more effective ways of raising student standards and closing the gap affecting students in disadvantaged school communities.
The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in the National Wildlife Federation's Schoolyard Habitat Program (SYHP) had an effect on the standardized test scores of fourth grade primary school students in Houston, Texas. To conduct the study, three pairs of Houston elementary schools were matched by student demographics of ethnicity and economics. The treatment group included a total of 306 fourth grade students whose teachers were using the SYHP. The control group consisted of a total of 108 fourth grade students whose teachers used a more traditional curriculum. To measure academic achievement, changes in standardized test scores (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) were compared between students' third grade data and their fourth grade data. Results showed that those students participating in the SYHP had significantly increased math scores when compared with peers in schools that were taught using a more traditional curriculum. However, overall, few differences were found in comparisons of reading scores of those students taught with SYHP and those taught using a more traditional curriculum.
Biases in pre-service teachers' evaluations of students' performance may arise due to stereotypes (e.g., the assumption that students with a migrant background have lower potential). This study examines the effects of a migrant background, performance level, and implicit attitudes toward individuals with a migrant background on performance assessment (assigned grades and number of errors counted in a dictation). Pre-service teachers (N = 203) graded the performance of a student who appeared to have a migrant background statistically significantly worse than that of a student without a migrant background. The differences were more pronounced when the performance level was low and when the pre-service teachers held relatively positive implicit attitudes toward individuals with a migrant background. Interestingly, only performance level had an effect on the number of counted errors. Our results support the assumption that pre-service teachers exhibit bias when grading students with a migrant background in a third-grade level dictation assignment.
This chapter examines key education reforms in Singapore and Hong Kong, which are considered two exemplary cases of high performing education systems (HPES) in Asia for their top ranks in various international comparison exercises such as Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Progress in International Reading Literacy Studies (PIRLS), and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in recent years. Further, it also discusses major challenges facing both places’ education reforms. Following this introductory section, there are four sections in this chapter. Firstly, it commences with a review of the context of education reforms in Singapore and Hong Kong. Secondly the focus will be placed on key directions of education reform for fostering economic competitiveness, national identity and social equity in both places. Thirdly, it then turns to discuss major challenges facing the education reforms in achieving these three policy goals.
In the span of a few short decades in its post-independent era, Singapore has moved from a relative unknown, to being “one of Asia’s great success stories” (OECD: PISA 2009 results: overcoming social background—equity in learning opportunities and outcomes, vol. 2. Author, Paris. doi:10. 1787/ 9789264091504-en, pp 159, 2010). Singapore’s achievements seem remarkable given the absence of natural resources other than her people—who represent a diverse mix of racial groups, cultures, languages, and origins. As a city-state, Singapore constitutes an urban nation, or urban city-state—and an urban school system—that is employing educational policy to successfully enhance social cohesion and advance social mobility among its multicultural citizenry. In this chapter, we look at the universal goal to “educate all children” or to “educate other people’s children,” using Singapore as an illustrative case. We begin with a brief history of Singapore to establish a baseline, and then go on to outline the journey Singapore has taken to ensure quality education for all children, regardless of race, language, religion, culture or economic background. We offer two illustrations that allow us to ground our narrative in concrete contexts as we examine specific policies and practices that have had an impact on Singapore’s aim to achieve equity amidst diversity. We then move from the specific illustrations to a look across the two in order to surface possible lessons or principles that could be educative to other systems regardless of local particulars. We end with reflections about the priorities that should be focal in the continuing quest for educational equity and social justice—whether in Singapore or elsewhere in our world.
This exploratory case study examines the experiences of one first-year, Black female English language arts teacher and her Advanced Placement Language and Composition students. Through an exploration of her relationship with her Black students, the data reveal how she faced challenges when finding balance in her classroom management style, encountered cultural dissonance, developed teacher-student relationships, and struggled with how White, middle-class values may have shaped her classroom interactions with her students. The results of this study inform the field of teacher education and have potential implications for pre-service and inservice teachers worldwide working with students from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds.
The Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS) are among the most popular instruments used in studies of attitudes toward mathematics. However, the FSMAS has been mainly used among student populations and rarely used with teachers. In the present study, three scales from the FSMAS—Confidence, Effectance Motivation, and Anxiety—were revised and used with lower-primary (kindergarten to third grade) teachers. This study includes three parts: (1) a pilot study to ensure the modifications made to the FSMAS were appropriate to use with teachers, (2) confirmatory factor analyses to assess the factor structure of the revised FSMAS with 225 lower-primary teachers, and (3) measurement invariance analyses using data from a similar sample of 171 lower-primary teachers to examine whether the revised FSMAS measures each construct in the same way as in the previous sample. The final three-factor model, after removing three problematic items, achieves acceptable model fit, with each construct meeting all conditions for strict measurement invariance. Additionally, repeated measures analyses were performed on data collected from 39 in-service lower-primary teachers who participated in an elementary mathematics specialist program to examine the use of the revised FSMAS in program evaluation. Overall results suggest that researchers and program evaluators may use the revised FSMAS to reliably measure lower-primary teachers’ mathematical attitudes, and it can be a valuable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of professional development programs.
To understand how one participant “engage[s] in social action to solve problems,” this research utilizes critical narrative analysis to illustrate how researchers may re-enter into critical conversations with participants to interrupt deficit discourses used when describing the lives of Black male youth. This article analyzes the narrative of Teamer—a Black male from the urban south and former student of the researcher—alongside problematic and pervasive discourse to illustrate how individual narratives provide the context for re-examining normalized notions and how participating in critical meta-awareness can interrupt the deficit gaze placed upon Black males.
A growing body of research implicates students' ability to coordinate multiple levels of numerical units as an important aspect of their mathematical development. In this paper, we consider relationships between the ways students coordinate units with whole numbers (their multiplicative concepts) and the ways students coordinate units with fractions (their fractions schemes). Interviews with 50 sixth-grade students suggest commonality in the number of levels of units-within-units structures that students construct for the two contexts, consistent with Steffe's (2001. The Journal, of Mathematical Behavior, 20(3), 267) reorganization hypothesis. The results suggest that fractions may be a fertile domain for elementary and middle grades students to continue to develop whole number understandings.
This chapter is organized as follows. The first section gives a stylized description of the elementary and secondary education systems as they map onto the life course in childhood and early adulthood. The second section describes the persistent achievement gap between the races. The third section discusses some of the varied and widespread public and private responses to that achievement gap. Section four analyzes the present state of higher education in America. Section five examines diversity and inequality in access to that system of higher education, while section six presents issues of skill formation and returns to education. The seventh section returns to international comparisons as evidenced in the OECD, Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) studies, and to the question of the relative quality of U.S. education. The concluding section revisits the question of U.S. education as a model.
Perhaps now more than ever before, U.S. society demands advanced literacy skills from its diverse students and citizens. Jobs that once required only a high-school diploma are increasingly offered to applicants with college degrees, and the flood of information shared on the Internet and through electronic media requires not just the ability to comprehend—a complex process in its own right—but also the critical skills to evaluate, synthesize, and produce new and complex forms of writing, using multimedia to convey a variety of genres and disciplinary content. Such mounting expectations and changing demands focus an increasingly bright spotlight on college and career readiness in secondary and post-secondary educational settings.
The ERWC responds to these literacy challenges by balancing student engagement with substantive preparation in rhetorical reading and writing. By helping secondary students become more competent, confident users of the myriad literacies they will encounter in diverse professional and community contexts, the ERWC also addresses issues of access and equity.
Propuesta de un nuevo enfoque para reducir el abandono escolar en secundaria Resumen. Durante el período 2006-2014, el Ministerio de Educación Pública de Costa Rica implementó cuatro acciones estratégicas para la disminución del abandono escolar en secundaria. El objetivo principal de estas acciones fue promover la participación estudiantil y la identificación del estudiante con su centro educativo. Para valorar el impacto de estas acciones se revisaron estudios elaborados por el Ministerio de Educación y la Contraloría General de la República. A partir de los resultados se ve la necesidad de proponer una visión más integral para lograr la permanencia estudiantil en secundaria con base al concepto de engagement. Así mismo se propone un modelo de acciones estratégicas que incluye acciones preventivas universales, acciones preventivas selectivas y acciones preventivas dirigidas. Abstract. From 2006 to 2014, the Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica implemented four strategic actions to reduce high school dropout rates. The main purpose of these actions was to promote student participation and student identification with their school. Studies prepared by the Ministry of Education and the Comptroller of the Republic were revised to assess the impact of these actions. The result of these actions does not show an actual decrease in the number of students who leave high school. Therefore, a more holistic view is necessary to ensure the students' stay. This review suggests using use the concept of student engagement and applying a three tier system-wide dropout preventive actions: universal, targeted and intensive.
Most students experience the transition from school to university as challenging. Students from backgrounds with little or no experience of higher education are most vulnerable in the transition, and most at risk of academic failure or early departure. This study examined the role that parents and friends play in the transition to university and in the first academic year. The study examines the mechanisms of this support so as to understand the ways in which support is provided. It examines whether - and if so, how - support mechanisms differed for first-generation students and those with family familiarity of university. Data were collected through focus group and individual interviews with dentistry students in their first and second academic years at a Faculty of Dentistry in South Africa. Concepts from psychology literature - attachment and friendship quality - provided the analytical framework. Findings from the study suggest that the social relationships which students have access to during the transition and the first academic year have the potential to provide emotional resources which ease transition and practical information about appropriate ways of being and doing at university. First-generation university students are less likely to have access to the latter because their parents have no experience of university. The study concludes with suggestions for ways in which universities and their teachers might provide support for all first-year students.
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Implicit attitudes can be activated by the mere presence of the attitude object. They are assumed to guide behavior in demanding situations, including the educational context. Implicit attitudes toward racial minority students could be important in contributing to the disadvantages those students experience in school. This study employed three different measures to investigate implicit attitudes toward racial minority students among preservice teachers. The IAT and the AMP showed more negative implicit attitudes toward racial minority than toward racial majority students; the affective priming task revealed that implicit attitudes toward racial majority students were positive, while those toward racial minority students were neutral. Results are discussed in their implications for preservice teachers’ judgments and behaviors.
This article provides an analysis of Arizona’s policy response in educating English language learners by conducting a narrative review. A critical Latina/o theory approach was used to analyze the data. This study reveals 5 salient policy responses: (a) severely limit bilingual education, (b) develop controversial funding solutions, (c) implement a segregated 4-hr English language development block, (d) mandate structured English immersion–focused teacher preparation, and (e) develop disputed identification and classification instruments. The available data suggest that these policies have negatively impacted the educational experience and academic attainment of English language learners.
This qualitative study examines the literacy and language beliefs and practices of 28 Latino/a children from Grades 1–7 in a South Texas colonia, or unincorporated area. Instruments included staff surveys and participating children's 24-hr reading logs, interviews, and participant observations. The children had limited access to books, mostly during the summer, and most reported having negative attitudes toward reading. They also showed a preference to read in English rather than in Spanish. Implications of access to printed literacy and the language shift of colonia children to English are also discussed.
The study we report here examined parental, pre-course, and in-course predictors of students’ probability of retaining (n = 136) or losing the HOPE scholarship (n = 41). The study was conducted in a multi-section, entry-level course (n = 203) for the Teacher-Education Program at a large state university in the southeastern U.S. Logistic regression that included a special computation of standardized beta weights was used in determining the predictive strength of selected variables and groups of variables. The variables with the strongest standardized beta weights included class attendance, critical thinking ability, and high school GPA. Of the various sub-groups of variables, pre-course and in-course variables generated the strongest prediction models. All models did much better in predicting retention than loss of HOPE scholarships.
The possibility is examined that school choice programs could be a means to reducing the achievement gap. Data based on meta-analytic research and the examination of nationwide data sets suggest that school choice programs that include private schools could reduce the achievement gap by 25%. The propounding of this possibility is based on research indicating that the achievement gap in faith-based schools is generally 25% narrower than one finds in public schools. Results of these studies suggest that both the racial achievement gap and the socioeconomic achievement gap are reduced by the same degree (25%). The significance of these results is discussed, especially as it pertains to the attitudes that people frequently have toward school choice.
The terms school administration and school leadership are often used interchangeably. Contemporary frameworks of school administration and leadership focus on the various administrative/leadership styles (Bolman & Deal, 1997; Leithwood & Duke, 1999; Lomotey, 1994); administrative/leadership functions (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003; Farkas, Johnson, & Duffett, 2003); alternative perspectives on school administration/leadership, such as spirituality (Dantley, 2001); leadership for social justice (Furman, 2002); and diversity in educational administration/leadership (Gonzalez, 2002; Tillman, 2002,2003). While some of these frameworks are inclusive of the perspectives of African American school leaders (see for example Alston, 1999; Dantley, 2001; Jones, 2003; Lomotey, 1994), much of the theoretical and empirical literature on school leadership has failed to consider the unique history, leadership, constructs, and present day circumstances that contribute to effective leadership in schools where students of color enjoy academic engagement and achievement
African American school leadership is an under-researched, under-developed, and under- valued topic in the discourse on school administration/leadership (Banks, 1995; Valverde & Brown, 1988;). Reports such as Rolling up Their Sleeves: Superintendents and Principals Talk about What’s needed to Fix Public Schools (Farkas, Johnson, & Duffett, 2003), Who is Leading Our Schools?: An Overview of School Administrators and Their Careers (Gates, Ringel, Santibanez, Ross, & Chung, 2003), and Preparing School Principals: A National Perspective on Policy and Program Innovations (Hale & Moorman, 2003), tend to be narrowly scripted discussions of what school leadership is and the desired characteristics and skills of individuals who serve as school leaders. The focus and content of these reports, as well as the emphasis of programs in departments of educational leadership, indicate a privileging of voice that often excludes the historical, theoretical, intellectual, and practical knowledge of African American school leaders. Scholars of cultural-synchronization and cultural relevance studies have argued effectively that school administrators and teachers, and those who prepare them for service in schools, require the cultural understanding that equips them to work productively and effectively with children who are from ethnic groups different from their own.
This article serves as an overview of activities and selected assessment findings of a three-year research study titled, Closing the Mathematics Achievement Gap of Native American Students Identified as Learning Disabled Project (CMAG Project). Methods used were problem-based, consistent with those of Cognitively Guided Instruction, and culturally relevant. Teachers who participated in the study taught students in special education and inclusive education classrooms at grades kindergarten through twelve. Findings of this study documented significant learning gains of the target students. Three classroom vignettes provide examples of project classrooms.
Due to an increase in enrollment of African American students with disabilities in postsecondary education, there is a need to identify strategies that may lead to improved transition and self‐advocacy skills for these students. These strategies include teaching students to request academic accommodations and to have an understanding of how their disability affects their academic learning. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide an in‐depth explanation of a self‐advocacy strategy that was used to teach three African American male college students how to request their academic accommodations. Results indicated this strategy may be a promising intervention for African American college students with disabilities.
This article presents self-advocacy competencies developed to promote the academic, career, and personal/social success of minority students. The authors discuss challenges faced by minority students in today's educational environment and review principles of self-advocacy. Competencies for developing self-advocacy awareness, knowledge, and skills are discussed along with school counseling strategies for promoting self-advocacy among minority students. © 2007 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.
Purpose. The purpose of this paper was to examine leadership practices in effective schools located in economically disadvantaged areas of three Canadian provinces: Ontario, Québec, and New Brunswick. Research Design. Our study was conducted in five successful schools selected on the basis of student outcomes on province-wide standardized exams, as well as on some risk factors such as rural area, low socioeconomic level, and proportion of Francophones (Ontario and New Brunswick). To increase the study’s validity, we used triangulation and various data sources: (1) individual interviews; (2) observation of school principals; (3) field documentation; (4) student essays; (5) internal school documents such as mission statement, rules, and directives. Participants. Participants included Department of Education heads and school board administrators, school principals and vice principals, teachers, school counsellors, educational psychologists, parent school board members, and students. Findings. Results show that leadership practices in effective schools can be grouped together around five dimensions: establishing goals and expectations; strategic resourcing; curriculum planning, coordination, and evaluation; promoting and participating in teacher supervision and development; ensuring order and support.
This article explores practitioner inquiry and culturally relevant pedagogy to create academic success with students facing high school exit examinations in Reading. In Florida, about one-third of African American students passed the test in 2010. Student perspectives on achievement, school processes, and engagement were incorporated with strategic practice to create a collaborative, classroom environment. Culturally relevant pedagogy, literacy theory, and English language arts instruction were integrated with student’s perspectives in curriculum design and instruction.
Within the context of widely documented racially disproportionate discipline outcomes, we describe schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) as one approach that might provide a useful framework for culturally responsive behavior support delivery. We conceptualize cultural and linguistic diversity as the result of a divergence between individual students’ and entire schools’ cultural identities and identify culturally responsive educational practices that might facilitate greater continuity between students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and school environments. Based on practical recommendations derived from the literature, we propose an expansion of the key features of SWPBS implementation (practices, data, systems, and outcomes) to facilitate culturally responsive behavior support delivery. We propose (a) systemically promoting staff members’ cultural knowledge and self-awareness, (b) commitment to culturally relevant and validating student support practices, and (c) culturally valid decision making to enhance culturally equitable student outcomes. We provide recommendations for future research and present the efforts of one school district to blend SWPBS implementation with training in cultural responsiveness.
This meta-analysis of 22 studies examines the relationship between phonics and the academic achievement of urban minority elementary school children. Further analyses distinguish between those studies that are of higher quality than the others and those studies that examine all minority students and mostly minority students. Results indicate a significant relationship between phonics instruction and higher academic achievement. Phonics instruction, as a whole, is associated with academic variables by about .23 to .33 of a standard deviation unit. This relationship holds for studies that examine all minority students and those that include mostly minority students. The results also hold for higher quality studies. The significance of these results is discussed.
Teachers’ and preservice teachers’ attitudes toward students are mental states that may contribute to teachers’ judgments and students’ achievement. However, in the past, educational research has mainly focused on explicit attitudes and has hardly considered the pivotal role of implicit attitudes in predicting behavior. Drawing on the MODE model of how attitudes guide behavior (Fazio 1990; Fazio and Towles-Schwen 1999), this article gives a brief overview of the most common implicit attitude measures. Focusing on two different student groups who experience disadvantages in educational attainment shows that explicit attitudes are mainly positive, while implicit attitudes are negative and more predictive of teacher’ and preservice teachers’ behavior. This article highlights the need for implicit measures in educational research and identifies questions to be addressed by future research.
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