This document discusses 5 educational connections from most to least influential: 1) No Child Left Behind, 2) Differentiated Instruction, 3) Student-Centered Learning, 4) Literacy Coaching, and 5) Youth Dropout Rate. It provides details and examples for each connection, including the goals and impacts of NCLB, ways to differentiate instruction to meet student needs, challenges of student-centered learning, the role of literacy coaches, and factors contributing to high dropout rates. The document analyzes how these connections relate to issues like standardized testing, teaching methods, student motivation and engagement, literacy skills, and cultural differences.

2. Below are my 5 connections starting with the
most influential to the least:
1. No Child Left Behind
2. Differentiated Instruction
3. Student-Centered Learning
4. Literacy Coaching
5. Youth Dropout Rate

3.  NCLB was implemented with the hopes to
improve student achievement and hold all
involved more accountable.
 An unsettling outcome of this act is high-stakes
testing.

4.  This has become a controversial ISSUE due to
increased focus on basic skills instead of
meaningful, life-long learning.
Teachers are “teaching
to the test”

5.  NCLB is extremely influential to students
because it affects the progress and future of
each student (Duffy, 2008).
Ex. There is a female student at our school that does well in her
high school classes. She made a 4 on her EOC. (Keep in
mind that many teachers are teaching to the test for job
security.) On the flip side, she failed all of her college classes
she was enrolled in at the same time. She lacks the ability to
be an active participant in her learning and it shows in her
college classes.

6.  To promote a high quality education teachers must produce a
learning environment in which students want to learn. This means
differentiating instruction to meet everyone’s needs.
 Teachers must also allow students to participate in respectful
work while maintaining a flexible working relationship
(Logan, 2011).
A few ways to differentiate
instruction:
• Give students choices
• Create learning contracts
• Provide learning centers
• Provide a variety of
resources/reading material
about the topic

7.  This is a growing TREND because our
classrooms are more diverse than ever and
youth dropout rates are not decreasing.
 I ranked this as second most influential because
differentiated instruction is the key to ensuring
that you reach every child in that classroom.

8. I had a male student who came in my class
with little intention of learning. Teachers
previously had given up on him and it showed.
It took me about two months to establish a
good relationship with this young man and
learn about his interests. Everything we did I
somehow related it to sports and tweaked his
assignments to follow suit. We also agreed to
establish learning centers and he was in charge
of the students in his center. I am proud to say
that he succeeded in my class as well as on the
EOC.

9.  Student-centered learning is where students
play an active role in their learning.
 This is a CHALLENGE because of many
reasons:
1.) student motivation (Pederson, 2003)
2.) keeping students on task (Pederson, 2003)
3.) how does one accurately assess this
process (Pederson, 2003)
4.) NCLB focusing on the basic skills

10. There was a student in my class who had
trouble with rote memorization. He had to
perform hands on activities, write his thoughts
in a learning log and then teach it to another
student in the class. He was key in choosing
these activities and he felt responsible not only
for himself but for the students he was
teaching.

11.  A current TREND that consists of someone
providing professional development to
teachers in efforts to help them improve their
students’ abilities to read, write and succeed in
that content area.

12.  Literacy coaches meet with teachers one-on-one
to discuss current tactics and encourage new
strategies to include reading, writing and more
student oral participation (Gross, 2010)

13.  We have an awesome literacy coach but as I said
earlier, it is difficult to correct a problem that has been
ongoing in a short amount of time.
 There was a student this year that could not read or
write sufficiently. We worked with him extensively
and he did improve but he was still not on grade level
by the end of the year.

14.  The number of youth dropping out of high
school is alarming.
 WHY???????????
Struggle with
the transition
to high school
Feel alienated
due to
cultural
differences
Lack of diverse
teaching

15.  This is an ISSUE because the national high
school graduation rate is estimated to be
between 75 – 78% (Rouse, 2009).
High school
dropouts earn 46%
than college
educated adults
(Rouse, 2009)

16.  I rated this last, not because I think it is any less
influential than the others, but because if the
previous topics are addressed then the dropout
rate would decrease

17. Duffy, M., Giordano, V.A., Farrell, J.B., Paneque, O.M., & Crump, G.B. (2008). No Child Left
Behind: Values and Research Issues in High-Stakes Assessments. Counseling & Values,
53(1), 53-66.
Gross, P.A. (2010). Not Another Trend: Secondary-Level Literacy Coaching. The Clearing
House, 83, 133-137. doi: 1080/00098651003774844
Kellough, R., & Kellough, N. (2011). Secondary School Teaching: A Guide to Methods and
Resources. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

18. Logan, B. (2011). Examining differentiated instruction: Teachers respond. Research In Higher
Education Journal, 13, 1-14.
Pederson, S., & Liu, M. (2003). Teachers’ Beliefs about Issues in the Implementation of a
Student-Centered Learning Environment. Educational Technology Research and
Development, 51,(2), 57-76.
Rouse, C., & Kemple, J.J. (2009). Introducing the Issue. Future Of Children, 19(1), 3-15.