NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS are a group of national and international refereed, blind-reviewed academic journals. NFJ publishes articles academic intellectual diversity, multicultural issues, management, business, administration, issues focusing on colleges, universities, and schools, all aspects of schooling, special education, counseling and addiction, international issues of education, organizational behavior, theory and development, and much more. DR. WILLIAM ALLAN KRITSONIS is Editor-in-Chief (Since 1982). See: www.nationalforum.com
How to Develop a Response to Intervention ModelAmy Robertson
Schools need a way to identify struggling students so they can intervene immediately to alter the course of action for students. Learn the 10 steps to developing an RTI model at your school with this eBook.
Breaking Down "Public Rules on Private Schools: Measuring the Regulatory Impa...EdChoice
Is regulatory creep a fate that awaits all school choice programs? With the number of those programs doubling over the past five years, the need for context and understanding is critical. This report provides a framework for understanding the impacts of state government statutes regulating private schools, regulations distinct to a given school choice program, and any regulatory growth over a program’s lifespan.
Breaking Down "A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Choice"EdChoice
Proponents of private school choice make a wide array of claims about its benefits. They claim competition will spur public school improvement; vouchers will reduce the cost of education; students who get vouchers will show achievement gains; school choice will improve integration in schools and more. A vast body of research on whether school choice programs work now exists.
The fourth edition of A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Choice examines 100 empirical studies of school choice programs in one convenient report.
Has school choice had the effect predicted by some economists, education experts, and millions of parents? Do the results argue for wider experiments or the adoption of broad-based vouchers or education savings accounts? This Slideshare features the definitive research.
You may find the full report, A Win-Win Solution, on the Friedman Foundation website here: http://www.edchoice.org/Win-Win
How to Develop a Response to Intervention ModelAmy Robertson
Schools need a way to identify struggling students so they can intervene immediately to alter the course of action for students. Learn the 10 steps to developing an RTI model at your school with this eBook.
Breaking Down "Public Rules on Private Schools: Measuring the Regulatory Impa...EdChoice
Is regulatory creep a fate that awaits all school choice programs? With the number of those programs doubling over the past five years, the need for context and understanding is critical. This report provides a framework for understanding the impacts of state government statutes regulating private schools, regulations distinct to a given school choice program, and any regulatory growth over a program’s lifespan.
Breaking Down "A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Choice"EdChoice
Proponents of private school choice make a wide array of claims about its benefits. They claim competition will spur public school improvement; vouchers will reduce the cost of education; students who get vouchers will show achievement gains; school choice will improve integration in schools and more. A vast body of research on whether school choice programs work now exists.
The fourth edition of A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Choice examines 100 empirical studies of school choice programs in one convenient report.
Has school choice had the effect predicted by some economists, education experts, and millions of parents? Do the results argue for wider experiments or the adoption of broad-based vouchers or education savings accounts? This Slideshare features the definitive research.
You may find the full report, A Win-Win Solution, on the Friedman Foundation website here: http://www.edchoice.org/Win-Win
Breaking Down the "Surveying the Military" ReportEdChoice
Our survey of military servicemembers, veterans and their spouses is the first of its kind and methodology to delve deeper this important population's thoughts on K–12 education in America. This new research aims to help policymakers and the public better understand military families' perspectives on school choice policies, the military profession and more. Click through to get the key findings, complete with critical data you should know.
To download the full report, visit www.edchoice.org/Military Survey.
Unfinished: Insights From Ongoing Work to Accelerate Outcomes for Students Wi...Jeremy Knight
Despite some gains over the past 20 years, significant numbers of students are not meeting grade-level expectations as defined by performance on academic assessments. Meanwhile, few schools are able to support the sort of accelerated academic learning needed to catch students up to grade-level expectations.
Evidence indicates this is not for lack of educator commitment or dedication. Instead, many educators lack clarity about how to help students catch up. Common messages about holding a high bar for academic rigor and personalizing learning to meet students where they are can be perceived as being at odds with one another.
“Unfinished: Insights From Ongoing Work to Accelerate Outcomes for Students With Learning Gaps” synthesizes a broad body of research on the science of learning in order to inform efforts to help students close gaps and meet grade-level expectations. This deck argues that helping students catch up is not about rigor or personalization — classrooms need both.
Closing learning gaps requires students to be motivated and engaged to grapple with challenging, grade-level skills and knowledge — while also having their individual learning needs met.
The report identifies what must happen among educators, systems-level leaders, teacher developers, instructional materials providers, and technology experts to move beyond the dichotomy of “rigor versus personalization” and toward a future that effectively blends the two.
Educating Youth in Short-Term DetentionTanya Paperny
Each year thousands of youth in America are uprooted from their schools and communities and sent to a juvenile justice detention center. The majority of these confined youth are there for nonviolent offenses, including technical violations, such as failing to complete treatment or violating probation. Even youth awaiting foster care placement can be placed in a detention center. Over the course of a year, we estimate between 90,000 and 170,000 youth spend at least one day in a short-term detention center, and over 40% are detained for more than a month.
While in these facilities, young people are entitled to the same educational opportunities that they would have in the outside world. However, there is little research or data about this population.
In “Educating Youth in Short-Term Detention,” we found that youth’s educational experiences in these facilities often compound, rather than alleviate, the challenges they face. They are commonly unenrolled from their home school once they are arrested, and while detained, youth often do not receive coursework aligned with their needs, nor do they receive credit for the work they complete. Moreover, once they’re released, youth face significant challenges reenrolling in school, so even a brief period in confinement can severely disrupt a youth’s education.
Charter schools currently serve 3 million students in more than 7,000 schools across 44 states and Washington, D.C. And their reach continues to grow: Since 2005, the number of charter schools in the U.S. has nearly doubled, and the number of charter students has nearly tripled.
Despite being an enduring presence in the nation’s education space, charter schools remain a topic of ongoing debate. The State of the Charter Sector provides the latest available information on charter schools across the country, including updated data on growth, performance, and geographic trends. It also includes analyses of the challenges that charter schools face and how the sector is trying to address them.
This comprehensive slide deck updates our 2015 State of the Charter School Movement, and together, these resources serve as a fact base to cut through the rhetoric that often accompanies conversations about charter schools.
The goal of this analysis is not to persuade, but to inform. As the charter sector continues to grow and improve, it needs a rigorous, evidence-based debate around its weaknesses and strengths. Accurate information is crucial for thoughtful policymaking and, ultimately, to ensuring all students have access to a high-quality education.
Breaking Down EdChoice’s 2016 National “Schooling in America” Survey EdChoice
EdChoice’s annual national survey of Americans on education issues is back with a new demographic breakout and new parent questions. As part of our 2016 Schooling in America Survey, we oversampled Millennials in an effort to better understand where this generation of current and future school parents compares with others (and the national average) on K–12 education policies. This is also the first year we asked parents specific questions about the lengths to which they’ve gone for their children’s education. Flip through the slide show below to learn and share these top findings:
For the full 2016 Schooling in America report, visit http://www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2016.
For the full Millennial report, visit http://www.edchoice.org/MillennialSurvey.
Breaking Down “Back to the Staffing Surge”EdChoice
Our latest report—“Back to the Staffing Surge”—measures US public school employment growth versus student growth as well as teacher salary fluctuations and student outcomes over the past 65 years using publicly available data that state departments of education annually report to the U.S. Department of Education. The results were shocking.
What did the numbers say exactly? And what could our system have done to better serve public school teachers and students? Flip through this slide show to learn more!
To access the full Back to the Staffing Surge report and more resources, including a podcast video with author Dr. Ben Scafidi, visit www.edchoice.org/StaffingSurge.
President Donald Trump’s nomination of philanthropist and education advocate Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education thrust Michigan education into the national spotlight. Because DeVos doesn’t have a track record as a government official or school system leader, her work in Michigan on education issues provides some of the only information about her track record and what she might do as Secretary. Yet, DeVos’ critics and her boosters alike are making a variety of claims about Michigan that are confusing and contradictory.
To help clarify some of these questions, a new analysis from Bellwether Education Partners provides a comprehensive look at the education policy landscape in Michigan.
EdChoice's 2018 Schooling in America SurveyEdChoice
Teachers and K–12 education made headlines this year. Elections can only tell us so much about what the public thinks about K–12 education. That's why we look to polls like EdChoice's six-years-running "Schooling in America Survey," which allows us to provide a clear picture of Americans' views and attitudes on K–12 issues. For this year's survey, we interviewed a representative national sample of 1,803 American adults, including an extra 533 school-aged parents. Most notably, we surveyed a separate sample of 777 public school teachers.
Learn what we found in this slide show of our key findings.
To download the full report, visit www.edchoice.org/SIA2018.
Follow us on social media!
Twitter - www.twitter.com/edchoice
Facebook - www.facebook.com/edchoice
Instagram - @edchoice
Breaking Down the "Surveying the Military" ReportEdChoice
Our survey of military servicemembers, veterans and their spouses is the first of its kind and methodology to delve deeper this important population's thoughts on K–12 education in America. This new research aims to help policymakers and the public better understand military families' perspectives on school choice policies, the military profession and more. Click through to get the key findings, complete with critical data you should know.
To download the full report, visit www.edchoice.org/Military Survey.
Unfinished: Insights From Ongoing Work to Accelerate Outcomes for Students Wi...Jeremy Knight
Despite some gains over the past 20 years, significant numbers of students are not meeting grade-level expectations as defined by performance on academic assessments. Meanwhile, few schools are able to support the sort of accelerated academic learning needed to catch students up to grade-level expectations.
Evidence indicates this is not for lack of educator commitment or dedication. Instead, many educators lack clarity about how to help students catch up. Common messages about holding a high bar for academic rigor and personalizing learning to meet students where they are can be perceived as being at odds with one another.
“Unfinished: Insights From Ongoing Work to Accelerate Outcomes for Students With Learning Gaps” synthesizes a broad body of research on the science of learning in order to inform efforts to help students close gaps and meet grade-level expectations. This deck argues that helping students catch up is not about rigor or personalization — classrooms need both.
Closing learning gaps requires students to be motivated and engaged to grapple with challenging, grade-level skills and knowledge — while also having their individual learning needs met.
The report identifies what must happen among educators, systems-level leaders, teacher developers, instructional materials providers, and technology experts to move beyond the dichotomy of “rigor versus personalization” and toward a future that effectively blends the two.
Educating Youth in Short-Term DetentionTanya Paperny
Each year thousands of youth in America are uprooted from their schools and communities and sent to a juvenile justice detention center. The majority of these confined youth are there for nonviolent offenses, including technical violations, such as failing to complete treatment or violating probation. Even youth awaiting foster care placement can be placed in a detention center. Over the course of a year, we estimate between 90,000 and 170,000 youth spend at least one day in a short-term detention center, and over 40% are detained for more than a month.
While in these facilities, young people are entitled to the same educational opportunities that they would have in the outside world. However, there is little research or data about this population.
In “Educating Youth in Short-Term Detention,” we found that youth’s educational experiences in these facilities often compound, rather than alleviate, the challenges they face. They are commonly unenrolled from their home school once they are arrested, and while detained, youth often do not receive coursework aligned with their needs, nor do they receive credit for the work they complete. Moreover, once they’re released, youth face significant challenges reenrolling in school, so even a brief period in confinement can severely disrupt a youth’s education.
Charter schools currently serve 3 million students in more than 7,000 schools across 44 states and Washington, D.C. And their reach continues to grow: Since 2005, the number of charter schools in the U.S. has nearly doubled, and the number of charter students has nearly tripled.
Despite being an enduring presence in the nation’s education space, charter schools remain a topic of ongoing debate. The State of the Charter Sector provides the latest available information on charter schools across the country, including updated data on growth, performance, and geographic trends. It also includes analyses of the challenges that charter schools face and how the sector is trying to address them.
This comprehensive slide deck updates our 2015 State of the Charter School Movement, and together, these resources serve as a fact base to cut through the rhetoric that often accompanies conversations about charter schools.
The goal of this analysis is not to persuade, but to inform. As the charter sector continues to grow and improve, it needs a rigorous, evidence-based debate around its weaknesses and strengths. Accurate information is crucial for thoughtful policymaking and, ultimately, to ensuring all students have access to a high-quality education.
Breaking Down EdChoice’s 2016 National “Schooling in America” Survey EdChoice
EdChoice’s annual national survey of Americans on education issues is back with a new demographic breakout and new parent questions. As part of our 2016 Schooling in America Survey, we oversampled Millennials in an effort to better understand where this generation of current and future school parents compares with others (and the national average) on K–12 education policies. This is also the first year we asked parents specific questions about the lengths to which they’ve gone for their children’s education. Flip through the slide show below to learn and share these top findings:
For the full 2016 Schooling in America report, visit http://www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2016.
For the full Millennial report, visit http://www.edchoice.org/MillennialSurvey.
Breaking Down “Back to the Staffing Surge”EdChoice
Our latest report—“Back to the Staffing Surge”—measures US public school employment growth versus student growth as well as teacher salary fluctuations and student outcomes over the past 65 years using publicly available data that state departments of education annually report to the U.S. Department of Education. The results were shocking.
What did the numbers say exactly? And what could our system have done to better serve public school teachers and students? Flip through this slide show to learn more!
To access the full Back to the Staffing Surge report and more resources, including a podcast video with author Dr. Ben Scafidi, visit www.edchoice.org/StaffingSurge.
President Donald Trump’s nomination of philanthropist and education advocate Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education thrust Michigan education into the national spotlight. Because DeVos doesn’t have a track record as a government official or school system leader, her work in Michigan on education issues provides some of the only information about her track record and what she might do as Secretary. Yet, DeVos’ critics and her boosters alike are making a variety of claims about Michigan that are confusing and contradictory.
To help clarify some of these questions, a new analysis from Bellwether Education Partners provides a comprehensive look at the education policy landscape in Michigan.
EdChoice's 2018 Schooling in America SurveyEdChoice
Teachers and K–12 education made headlines this year. Elections can only tell us so much about what the public thinks about K–12 education. That's why we look to polls like EdChoice's six-years-running "Schooling in America Survey," which allows us to provide a clear picture of Americans' views and attitudes on K–12 issues. For this year's survey, we interviewed a representative national sample of 1,803 American adults, including an extra 533 school-aged parents. Most notably, we surveyed a separate sample of 777 public school teachers.
Learn what we found in this slide show of our key findings.
To download the full report, visit www.edchoice.org/SIA2018.
Follow us on social media!
Twitter - www.twitter.com/edchoice
Facebook - www.facebook.com/edchoice
Instagram - @edchoice
TOPIC 1: Managing self disclosure
Image source: Americaexplained.wordpress.com
Managing Self-Disclosure: How Much is Too Much? Posted by Anni M.
In the field of interpersonal communication, self-disclosure is used as a measure for relationship development. The standard relationship progresses as follows: I tell you something about myself, you tell me something about yourself at a similar level of intimacy. As two people get to know each other better, the information they share becomes more personal. Eventually, it becomes comfortable to share secret information, or information that reveals insecurities, fears, or faults. But this type of self-disclosure takes time. It requires trust on both sides. Often, self-disclosure happens too quickly or not at all. In these circumstances communication breaks down and the relationship stops developing normally. In business, self-disclosure is an important tool for building trust but too much of it is unprofessional and can damage relationships.
Business relationships are, of necessity, separate from personal relationships. Sometimes this is a blurry line. Friendships develop in the office that lead to excessive self-disclosure and that can present professional problems. But if a friendship is comfortable and strong, it is possible to balance intimacy and professionalism. The real problems arise when one person rushes to disclose to another, or never discloses, closing himself off. We’ll explore each scenario, though the former is more common. As a recent study at Harvard has shown, our brains reward us for self-disclosure.
Imagine that two people are talking, a boss and his employee. They don’t know each other well, in fact the employee just started working for the company a month earlier. The boss is distraught and starts talking about his failing marriage. The employee cowers. What can he do? He tries to be supportive, but he isn’t a friend. He offers his sympathies but he feels uncomfortable. In this case, the boss’ disclosure has damaged his relationship with his employee. The employee feels nervous about talking with the boss and is confused about the boundaries between them. In this case the boss should remember, less is more.
Imagine that two people are talking, two employees of equal standing in the company. They’ve known each other for several years and work closely together every day. On multiple occasions, employee one has tried to get to know employee two on a personal level. He has talked about his favorite hobbies, his family, and the sports teams he likes, but employee two hasn’t shared any personal information. Employee one feels that employee two is distant and closed off. He doesn’t trust employee two.
The lesson here is that self-disclosure has to be natural, and it has to be a two-way street. Both parties must disclose at equal levels for the relationship to progress in a healthy, comfortable way. If you struggle with self-disclosure at work, start to pay closer attention to the ...
Tsipporah Top of FormResults of the EvaluationThe results of.docxwillcoxjanay
Tsipporah
Top of Form
Results of the Evaluation
The results of the evaluation of the School Success Program showed improvement in academics for children who were victims of maltreatment. This program recognized that there is a correlation between poor school performance of children who were maltreated. The School Success Program assists maltreated youth in school with tutoring and mentoring by certified teachers (Mallett, 2012). This program recognized that children who are maltreated have learning difficulties in school. Providing assistance to maltreated children with tutoring and mentoring increased their performance in school. “Program participants have shown one-year improvements that are significant when compared with those of their non maltreated peers: Basic reading and comprehension skills improved 58 percent; math reasoning and comprehension skills improved 50 percent; basic writing skills improved 48 percent; and overall academic skills improved 51 percent” (Mallett, 2012, p.13). These results were noted from both genders and with minorities, especially males.
Background Information and the Key Message
Background information that I would need to present to show that this program is successful and should be implemented elsewhere, is to show the results of identified maltreated children without intervention and to compare the results to maltreated children with interventions. I would show graphs and data to compare the results and the increased improvement of the interventions is significant. I could provide results of a single research study to show how the intervention improved academic performance which is significant. Also, using results of past research studies. Physical abuse and neglect have been shown to have negative results on school performance. Showing how the tutoring and mentoring program improved academic performance is significant.
Strategies to meet your Colleagues’ Interests and Goals
Strategies to meet my colleagues’ interests and goals would be to utilize surveys to learn about concerns that my colleagues may have about poor academic performance. If the goal is to reach this population early to produce better results in school performance, the program that is yielding strong results should be implemented.
Questions Colleagues Might Have and Possible Reactions
Questions colleagues might have about the program is how do we reach the intended population? How do we implement the program and maintaining the fidelity of the program that yields the intended results? What skills and trainings do the tutors and mentors need to possess. I would show that we will screen for poor academic progress and poor attendance to identify some. When we are aware that a children services agency is involved with certain children, they are enrolled automatically in the program. Ensure that tutors and mentors can be interns in education, working on their teaching degrees. I believe if their questions are answered during the presentatio ...
Respond to at least two colleagues by offering critiques of their .docxwilfredoa1
Respond to at least two colleagues by offering critiques of their analyses. Identify strengths in their analyses and strategies for presenting evaluation results to others. Identify ways your colleagues might improve their presentations. Identify potential needs or questions of the audience that they may not have considered. Provide an additional strategy for overcoming the obstacles or challenges in communicating the content of the evaluation reports.
Student #1 (Janis):
The evaluation report I selected, the school success program: Improving maltreated children’s academic and school-related outcomes. I would present the results of the evaluation on maltreated children academic and school-related by first giving writing materials with data showing the percentage of academic of maltreated children. Present historical information on known facts of children of maltreatment struggling to being successful in school.
They need to know what types of maltreatment children are experiencing: physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Children who experience different abuse have low school performance, mental health problems, use drugs, and staying in trouble in school. They are more likely to drop out of school, growing up being in and out of Jail. They are more likely to be held back a grade. They enter in school behind their peers. One sign of a children being maltreated is they have higher rate of being absent from school than children who are not maltreated. They are less motivated, engaged in their work, and lack good effective work habits (Mallett, 2012).
They need to know that maltreated children have been shown to increase their knowledge when they have a support system. Having help from children in the class room help them to become successful. I would show data where children have benefited from having tutors, mentors, and programs like Big Brother/Big Sister. The supportive program has been shown to improve the children academic. The programs are very effective in improved academic, behavior, and improvements with their parents, teachers, and peers (Mallett, 2012). Some questions that may be asked is: How to help the maltreated children focused on setting high goals for themselves? Do the maltreated children in the program continue to improve their life once they complete High School?
References
Mallett, C. A. (2012). The school success program: Improving maltreated children's academic
and school-related outcomes. Children & Schools, 34(1), 13–26.
Student #2 (Wilma)
The evaluation report that I chose was The School Success Program: Improving Maltreated Children's Academic and School-related Outcomes. This evaluation report introduces a School Success program for maltreated children in schools. It introduces interventions for these children that consists of certified teachers and tutors to address their poor academic issues. An analysis of how I would present the results of the evaluation to a group of social work colleagues is t.
Chapters 5 & 6
Week 3 Lecture Notes
Chapter 5 – Teaching, Standards, and You
If we were in a traditional classroom setting, I would bring in state and national standards to give everyone an idea of what is meant by the word, “ standards.” But, since this class is online, I would like all of you to review National and State standards online. You will find links to these under the “Web Links” button. Also, throughout this lecture, you will find web links.
This chapter begins by posing the question, "What should I teach?" That's a very important question because it can have many different responses! So, how do we know what to teach? How do we have all children, across the country, regardless of gender or economic status, to have access to the same information?
Standards: statements of what students should know and be able to do; help answer questions about what to teach children and about what they should learn.
What are local, state, and national standards?
· • Local: Refers to the immediate community, your school district.
· • State: Refers to the state’s standards.
· • National: Refers to the standards that are expected of all schools across the country. They are designed to be applicable to all children, regardless of individual state or local standards.
Today, we are moving towards standards-based education (SBE), focusing on basing the curriculum (all of the experiences children have while in school), teaching, and testing on local, state and national standards. Specifically, states are moving towards using the Common Core Standards.
Foundations of the Standards Movement
Education reform is not new; three federal initiatives played a large role in popularizing our need for standards-based education:
The Reagan Administration’s 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, was the first document that called for such reform. I would like you to familiarize yourself with this document. You will not be tested on it, but it will give you an idea of its historical importance. Please read the sections entitled (click on) A Nation at Risk,Findings and Recommendationshttp://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index.html
Goals 2000 was an act designed to ensure that all students reached high levels of achievement.For a summary of Goals 2000, please visit http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/stw/sw0goals.htm
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was the former federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school. NCLB emphasizes state and district accountability, mandates state standards for what children should know and be able to do, puts in place a comprehensive program of testing in grades three to twelve, and encourages schools to use teaching methods that have demonstrated their ability to help children learn. Table 5.1 discusses some pros and cons of NCLB. I am sure you've heard of NCLB; most teachers, as your text states, "love to hate" it! In particular, due to NCLB, the rise in standardized testing occurred and this, as many educators w.
Similar to Huff, patrick the fight against common core schooling v 5 n1 2014 (20)
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Huff, patrick the fight against common core schooling v 5 n1 2014
1. SCHOOLING
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1, 2014
1
The Fight Against Common Core: Focus on the Right Fight
A. Patrick Huff, PhD
Field Supervisor
Department of Educational Leadership & Counseling Department
Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View, TX
Abstract
The opposition to the Common Core State Standards has grown in intensity among politicians,
and the general public. Talk show personalities have come out on either side with the usual left
versus right spin that has divided the two camps very well. At stake are some key issues that
carry lots of dollar signs related to funding from the federal government and tax-exempt
foundations. For parents, many are coming down on the opposition side to Common Core for
personal reasons related to quality of education for their children and the right to have a voice in
what is taught at the public schools their children attend. Unfortunately, they are misguided.
They are not misguided from the standpoint of wanting to have a voice in their child’s education,
but misguided in how to go about achieving that aim. This article addresses what should be the
primary focus of every parent and school educator. The central issue in school reform is not the
Common Core standards, or any other standards based curriculum. The focus of the fight to
regain public education lies in the Accountability System and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
The latest article by Stephanie Simon (2014) highlights the continued battle raging over
the Common Core Standards. Ms. Simon does an excellent job of laying out the two sides and
showing where this showdown is headed. The article points out how the moms of America are
gaining some momentum and creating a groundswell of support for their cause. It is good to see
the moms across the country rising up and fighting this federal agenda, but it is also unfortunate
to see so many fighting the opposition not realizing they are fighting the wrong issue. They are
right about these standards completely federalizing public education. They are right that
Common Core continues to dumb down the students causing this problem that businesses and
colleges are seeing with ill equipped graduates. The problem is not so much in the standards as it
is in the method of delivery and the accountability system that forces teachers into scripted
lessons meant to equip students to take a standardized test.
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The Monster in the Middle of the Room That Isn’t Talked About
The monster that has kept the public school accountability system on course for at least
thirty years is the standardized testing format. This format is now completely engrained in every
public school across America. Most of the moms fighting Common Core grew up with this type
of education and know nothing else. They have always taken a standardized test once a year that
purported to measure their academic progress. What they need to realize is that education in the
public schools did not always operate this way. This format started gradually in the early 80’s
and incrementally moved from a benign accountability measuring system to the behemoth that
we have today. The use of the standardized test to grade schools virtually has a lock on every
facet of the student’s academic program. By that I simply mean that the vast amount of time
spent in a teacher’s lesson preparation goes to support those essential elements that will be found
in some capacity on the state mandated test. These essential elements are called TEKS (Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills) in Texas. For a comparison in your state, look for those
cognitive skills that are embedded into lesson plans identified as essential skills to learn in each
grade. These cognitive skills usually have a name to identify the skill set. A supporter of keeping
the status quo would ask, “What is wrong with that? If what a student needs to learn to be college
and career ready is taught through the essential elements, and those are evaluated through the
test, is not that what we are looking to accomplish”? The answer to that question is a whole
different topic and one for another article, but suffice it to say that through the essential elements
and the subsequent test, information and knowledge is controlled by those who create the content
essential elements. What is taught through the essential elements is that which is tested and
therefore that which is valued. If it is not on the test, it is not taught. One has to ask the question,
what is being left out of what should be a well-rounded liberal arts public school education? Ask
that question to the business leaders and college entrance evaluators. Apparently much is left out
due to the outcry from those business owners and college entrance evaluators who see the
students after they have taken the tests, passed the tests, and graduated.
There will not be any change in this outcome of deficiency if Common Core is removed
and another set of standards is put in its place. The reason for this is that the controlling
mechanism that produces the deficiency is left in place. That controlling mechanism is the
standardized testing, accountability system. If moms want to fight a fight that will truly change
the landscape in public education the outcomes based accountability system is the enemy you
want to go up against. Common Core is simply the next evolution of the same standards that
have been in place for many years. Some of the language may be different, and some of the
standards may be introduced at a different grade level, but it is pretty much the same old
standards put in a new wrapper. If the school landscape is to change, the accountability system
currently in place has to be eradicated.
Adequate Yearly Progress Insanity
To understand the accountability system and the grip it has on educators in every public
school system in America, one has to wrap their brain around the term Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP). This is a term every school administrator knows, but most of the public is unaware of
this key element of school accountability. Remember when President Bush declared that by 2014
every student in America would achieve proficiency on the state test? That was said back in 2002
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when No Child Left Behind was made the law of the land for all public schools. That was a nice
proclamation to make if it was intended as a goal. Instead it was put into law and it set in play a
time-bomb that would lead to most of the public schools in America failing to achieve standards
in their school report card by 2014. All students, being proficient, translates to 100% in statistical
terms. I state the obvious simply to make a point and let it sink in. Who in their right mind would
make into law that all students would pass the state test? Well, that’s just what President Bush
did. Not a goal, but a law. This meant that schools had to begin moving toward 100% in their
passing percentages each year. This is why the passing percentages for the schools rose each
year. Most of the public is completely unaware of this part of the accountability system. We
were moving toward 100%. But a funny thing happened on the way to becoming proficient. As
we moved closer to 2014, more schools failed to meet standards, not less. But what did the
schools fail? They failed to meet standards of AYP. They failed to meet the percentages required
for that year’s AYP mandate.
After two years of failing to meet standards of AYP, a school must go into the school
improvement program. Unfortunately, once a school goes into this program, they rarely improve.
That’s because just as you think you are making progress toward meeting standards, the
standards go up. Remember, schools have to reach the 100% mark. Are you beginning to see the
picture? It’s a fixed game. Once a school fails for five years in a row in the same subgroup, the
state has the authority to restructure the school. The restructuring can take the path of turning the
school into a charter school. Another option is to simply close the school. Both of these options
become a seriously disruptive action to everyone in the school community. Most educators who
work in these schools lose their job. This is not because teachers are not working tirelessly to try
and get their students to pass. It is because the reality is not every student will pass. They never
have, and they never will. I know we don’t want to say that, or admit it, but it is the truth. With
the school accountability system that is in place, every student has to pass or severe penalties go
in place. The fact that every student will not pass is the reality; schools in low-income, high
poverty areas are the target schools and the first to fail. But eventually with AYP moving to the
required 100%, all schools will fail.
School Standards = AYP
In 2011 (TEA, 2012), the federal AYP standard to pass Reading/Language Arts was 80%
and Math was 75%. That means that as a group all students collectively had to achieve an 80%
and a 75% passing rate for the school to meet standards. These percentages also pertain to each
individual subgroup. Each ethnicity, English Language Learner, Special Education, and Low
Socio-Economic students collectively as a subgroup, had to meet the percentages. That’s what
standards are according to AYP. For the purposes of school accountability, standards are not
educational goals or essential elements built into the curriculum. Standards are the AYP
percentages. When a school does not meet AYP, it is reported that they failed to meet standards.
Standards according to the accountability system are the AYP percentages required for that year.
Most people outside of education observe that a school did not meet standards, and they make
assumptions that the school is a bad school. They think that the sanctions placed on the school
are justified. They think that these sanctions will force teachers to work harder and do a better
job in the classroom. Sanctions will force the schools to improve, and if they don’t improve,
they deserve what they get. Do you see the danger in this thinking? It is playing directly into the
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hands of those who wish to control the education agenda. In 2011, 33% of the schools in Texas
failed to meet AYP (Cain, 2011). I use Texas, as an example, simply because I live in Texas and
also experienced the high stakes testing format as a middle school and high school principal in
Texas. Nationwide, there was a 48% failure rate (Usher, 2011). If you want to see the trend in
your state, research the AYP failing percentages for schools beginning in 2011. You will see a
sharp increase in school failures. This is due to the percentages becoming out of reach for many
schools, especially in the urban districts with high rates of poverty. But wait, that would mean
that No Child Left Behind was leaving behind the very students it purported to want to help.
Could that be true? Unfortunately, it is the truth. By 2012, the AYP percentages went up to 87 %
for Reading/ELA and 83% in Math (TEA, 2012). At this point, failure was expected to be
rampant. Superintendents and principals were in a state of panic. The handwriting was on the
wall. Everyone was going to fail by the time we get to 2014, because every student will not pass.
The net result was that many would have failed but AYP was put on hold by the U.S.
Department of Education (TEA, 2013).
The Waiver
Another interesting development happened on the way to 2014. President Obama offered
the waiver. The Elementary and Secondary Waiver Package disbanded AYP and released the
schools from the 100% mandate. You see you can’t have every school district in America fail.
That would only point out the obvious that the system was not working and was rigged from the
start. With the panic by superintendents at a fever pitch, President Obama just happened to have
an answer to the problem. He would use his pen and by Executive Order decree a waiver would
be offered to every state if the state could devise its own accountability system that demonstrates
rigor for college and career readiness. The Waiver would rescue the states from the requirement
of 100 % proficiency on the test by 2014.
Oh, wait…. just two important items have to be in the plan that each state submits. The
first mandatory requirement to acceptance into the waiver is the state must agree to adopt the
Common Core State Standards. The second mandatory requirement for the waiver is to link the
evaluation of teachers and administrators to the outcomes of their students on the test. Just those
two things and the waiver can be yours. Forty-five states accepted initially. Five states abstained.
Unfortunately, those five states have mostly been approved for the waiver, as well, due to their
new accountability plans having the necessary ingredients. Linking the evaluation of the teacher
to their student’s outcomes on the state test has never been done in Texas. A new teacher
appraisal format will be piloted for the 2014-2015 school year. Word is that it will have an
element linked to the student’s outcomes.
Facing Reality
AYP was disbanded for a short term. This was done to give states time to submit their
new plans for accountability and bring in Common Core, and make sure that every teacher will
move in lock step since there evaluation depends on getting their students to pass the state test.
Now that every state is essentially in unison, AYP has returned wrapped in a different format
that is somewhat more complicated than the old AYP formula. Since the accountability system
and AYP is now used again to grade schools, look for many schools across the country to begin
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failing again. Failure is the plan. With the fear of failure, control is obtained. A state of fear is
good for those who wish to control education.
Moms of America, please see this article for what it is. It is good you are fighting for
your children. You are, however, fighting the wrong enemy. Concentrate on ridding your state of
the accountability system in place and return the schools to the rightful control of those
independent agencies called the local education agency. LEA’s are the local districts governed
by school board members that you elect. At the present time, school board members have very
little authority. Federal law, built around the standards (AYP) controls the academic decisions of
school boards. Those that control education would like nothing better than to move parents out of
the picture through eliminating school boards. Charter schools are springing up all over the
country. Laws have been enacted in State Legislatures that allow for additional charters. Charter
schools do not have school boards. When politicians speak of school choice, they mean charter
school promotion and vouchers. Anyone who pushes school choice is in the hip pocket of the
corporations that benefit from charter schools and vouchers. If your conservative Republican
representative or candidate mentions school choice, understand who is funding their campaign. If
your liberal Democrat candidate promotes Common Core, understand that they’re in the hip
pocket of corporations that benefit from Common Core. Get the picture. Please, let’s all wake up
and realize that we have been played.
Here are the changes that must be made in order to get our school systems to the point
where we can begin to put the pieces back together.
1. The Accountability System must be dismantled. Local school districts must regain
control and it can’t be accomplished as long as the federal accountability system remains
in place.
2. Standardized Tests used to demonstrate a student’s gained knowledge and worthiness for
graduation needs to end. A standardized test should be used only for diagnostic purposes
to help a student in their educational path. That’s it, end of story. I’m sorry if that makes
the Testing Industrial Complex upset.
3. Allow the local school districts to determine which curriculum is right for their students
in their local area. This is what existed prior to Common Core. Can you imagine? Local
ability to choose your own curriculum. Now that is real school choice.
4. Return the teacher to their rightful place as the purveyor of knowledge in the classroom.
Any use of technology needs to be supplemental, and not used as an instrument that
replaces the teacher. The art of teaching must be allowed to continue. If this is not done
an educational aide, at a greatly reduced cost to the school district, will soon replace the
teacher. One aide to 50 students is a pretty good deal for the school district. Think about
it, if all the aide has to do is direct the student to what lesson is scheduled for viewing in
the tablet or laptop a teacher’s independent knowledge and experience is not needed. The
grading is instantly done, as well. What a great system! Heck, make it one aide to 100
students!! Sorry for the sarcasm, but what difference does it make if the student looks to
the electronic device as the source of information and knowledge. At that point, the
device becomes the teacher.
This is a starting point. If these four changes are made we will be a long way down the
path of authentic school reform. Taking our schools back is the rightful path every parent and
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educator in the profession should be fighting for. Don’t be led down a path that leads to nowhere.
Organize and fight the good fight; but fight the right fight.
References
Cain, J. (2011). Understanding Texas public schools accountability. Klein ISD. Retrieved
from http://www.kleinisd.net/default.aspx?name=cr.pr.811understandingaccountability
Simon, S. (2014, July 29). Moms winning the common core war. Politico. Retrieved from
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/the-common-core-pr-war-109460.html
Texas Education Agency. (2012). 2012 AYP requirements rise. Retrieved from
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147508195
Texas Education Agency. (2013). Implications of NCLB flexibility waiver. Retrieved from
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769808031
Usher, S. (2011). AYP results for 2010-2011. Center on Education Policy. Retrieved from
http://www.cep-dc.org/displayDocument.cfm?DocumentID=414
