Education Commons^™

Creating Culturally Considerate Schools: Educating Without Bias, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This book review first discusses the book’s major content divisions and follows with a general analysis of concepts. The book is structured into phases of equity development namely, selfexamination, reflection, integration, actualization, and educational equity (p. 12). The phases are further subdivided into eight manageable steps of personal and professional growth that would empower teachers to operate in culturally considerate classrooms, galvanized by school climates and cultures that support individual and collective student achievement. The eight stages of personal and professional growth are: acknowledgement of bias, assessment of current equity skills, acceptance of limitations, cognitive restructuring, expanding knowledge base, skill …

The Confucian Factor And Good Fortune In The National College Entrance Examination In China, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background

Confucianism is highly optimistic about human nature. It teaches that ordinary human beings can become awe-inspiring sages and worthies (Confucius himself lived a rather ordinary life). It believes that human beings are teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor. In ancient China Confucian education was based on hard work, compliance with state laws, and merit. A large number of students who took the Imperial examination at that time were from lower-class families. These observations are still true about the National College Entrance Examination. Confucius. Confucius regarded Heaven (T'ien) as a positive and personal force in the universe; …

A Persistent Quandary: The Rural School Improvement Project, 1953-1957, Richard E. Day, Lindsey N. Devries, Amanda L. Hoover

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Berea College's Rural School Improvement Project worked directly with more than 5,000 children and 63 teaching fellows in 39 different schools over 13 counties, and one independent school district, involving 10 county school supervisors. Project estimates claimed an indirect impact on approximately 45,000 children within the RSIP school districts. The RSIP represented the thinking of national leaders of rural education in the 1950s who promoted improved administration of the schools combined with an active community engagement program based on “full respect for human personality” and “shared judgments.” Following so many decades of poverty and isolation, it is no easy task …

First In Reform: The Adoption Of Common Core State Standards In Kentucky, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

On February 11, 2010, in an unprecedented joint meeting, the chairs of the Kentucky Board of Education, the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the Education Professional Standards Board signed a resolution directing their respective agencies to implement the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics. This act formalized Kentucky’s commitment to integrate the nascent standards into the state’s public education system – the first state to do so. This article will trace the antecedents to Kentucky’s adoption of the standards as one expression of the late 20th century/early 21st century “corporate school reform movement” as manifested in the …

Outsized Profit Expectations Harm Education News, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

It appears that former Herald-Leader and Los Angeles Times editor John Carroll was on to something when he predicted, in 2006, that outsized profit expectations in the newspaper industry would have a destructive effect on journalism. Seven years and several rounds of newsroom layoffs later — all in the service of maximized profits — its effects can be seen in education reporting on the [pages of the Herald-Leader].

Presidential Search Should Be More Open To Community, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No matter what the search firm does--or does not do--it is the Regents who remain responsible for the selection of Eastern’s 12th president. The search and screening committee would greatly benefit from a few faculty researchers who might be called upon to discretely vet the top candidates and advise the committee before the Regents make any public announcement about finalists. It might go a long way toward breaking down any misperceptions that the process is insular, thus building confidence among the faculty, which is crucial to the next president’s success.

Child Soldier Narratives And Critical Incident Themes In Peace Education, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Children are combatants in nearly three-quarters of the world's conflicts and have posed difficult dilemmas for the professional armies they confront. There are moral and strategic arguments for limiting the use of child soldiers. When conflicts involving children end, experts say the prospects for a lasting peace are hurt by large populations of psychologically scarred, demobilized child soldiers. Parts of Africa, Asia, and South America risk long-term instability as generations of youth are sucked into ongoing wars. There is a need to teach about maintaining peace in post-conflict classrooms. The author proposes a lesson plan to develop themes for peace …

A Southern Progressive: M. A. Cassidy And The Lexington Schools, 1886-1928, Richard E. Day, Lindsey N. Devries

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The 42-year career of M. A. Cassidy exemplifies the transition of public school leadership in Kentucky from non-educators who held religious-political ideologies to professional progressive educators who sought to make Kentucky schools more efficient through expertise and scientific management. This concept was fully adopted in Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution (1891) which required the General Assembly to “provide for an efficient system of common schools throughout the state.” Confident that professional educators were best suited to devise solutions to social problems, and justified by the twin notions of equality of educational opportunity and meritocracy, Cassidy was part of a …

Berea College-Coeducationally And Racially Integrated: An Unlikely Contingency In The 1850s, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

In this paper we consider the anti-slavery ministry of Rev. John G. Fee and the unlikely establishment of Berea College in Kentucky in the 1850s; the first college in the southern United States to be coeducationally and racially integrated. The Berea case illustrates how early twentieth century legal institutions were suffused with racism and justifications for racial discrimination even to the extent that they neutered the laws intended to provide redress to black citizens, while the court approved of racial prejudice as a natural protection from what it considered to be an unnatural amalgamation.

National College Entrance Examination, Praying To Confucius, And Good-Fortune In China, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this paper is to explore connections between the National College Entrance Examination, Confucius, and Belief in Good Fortune in China. These strands are discussed using the “analysis of narrative method” (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2009.) Some parents solicit the supernatural power of Confucius to help their children pass this examination. Prison authorities in a part of China have attempted to rehabilitate prisoners by having them study and take a test on the Analects of Confucius (Ames, 1999).

Worship of Confucius

The purpose of this paper is to explore connections between the National College Entrance Examination, Confucius, and …

Bert Combs And The Council For Better Education: Catalysts For School Reform, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A history of the beginnings of the Council for Better Education and their successful litigation, Rose v Council for Better Education. The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, published continuously since 1903, is among the oldest historical journals in America but continues to provide fresh perspectives on the history of Kentucky and its people. The Register includes the work of leading scholars on the commonwealth but is widely accessible to general readers interested in Kentucky history. Published quarterly, it is a benefit of Kentucky Historical Society membership. Leading scholars whose articles have appeared in the Register include James A. Ramage, …

Professor Supports Benefits Decision: On Domestic Partner Benefits At Eku, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

I’ve been racking my brain, and I just can’t figure out how my marriage is harmed by domestic partner benefits. Fortunately, that question is getting a thorough examination in the California case, Perry v Schwarzenegger, where the judge asked anti-gay marriage advocates to provide evidence that traditional marriage is harmed by gay marriage. When the judge pressed the lead attorney to identify how straight people would be affected, he responded, "Your honor, my answer is: I don't know.” He was certain, however, that children are better off in a stable home, whether that is a traditional union or a civil …

Kentucky Coming Late To Battle For Soul Of Charter Schools Movement, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Around the time charter schools first began to appear in Minnesota, Kentucky was neck-deep in the Kentucky Education Reform Act, the most sweeping set of school reforms undertaken by any state at any one time. As a result, there was little interest on the part of the legislature, or the press for that matter, in allowing Kentucky schools to veer from the KERA's path. Everybody's hands were full. The new law was already being attacked from the right and supporters worried there might not be enough votes to sustain KERA in 1996. Meanwhile, the Patton administration took the position that …

The Poetry Of (Li Bai, Alias Li Po, Alias Tai Bai (701-762) : A Voice From Imperial China, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Pedagogy, Child Soldier Memoirs, And Moral Intelligence In A Post-Conflict Classroom, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Edited by Barry Mowell, Sub-Saharan Africa in the Classroom is written from a variety of perspectives and addresses numerous important human and physical themes. Each chapter shares the common goal of providing educators with substantive and balanced overviews of content, as well as strategies and resources to assist in teaching about Sub-Saharan Africa. One chapter, A Child’s Safari into Sub-Saharan Africa, is written specifically for elementary classrooms, but is adaptable to middle grades as well. One chapter, Sub-Saharan Africa in Cinema, is primarily written for the post-secondary level, but also lists films and provides ideas that would be suitable for …

Free Textbook Distribution Process In Sindh, Pakistan: A Study Of Stakeholders Perceptions, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid, Halah C. Simon

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Placed amongst the lower middle income countries (The World Bank 2010), a large segment of the population of Pakistan is unable to afford the expenses on basic amenities including education. In year 2003, the Government of Sindh, initiated a free textbooks scheme. This study investigates the transparency and efficiency of distribution process; examines the challenges and opportunities of the procurement and delivery process; and assesses the perceptions and feedback of the stakeholders. The study was conducted in all the districts of Sindh Province. The data were collected through analysis of documents, field survey, focus group discussions and interviews. The study …

Role Of Private Sector In Higher Education Of Pakistan: Predicaments And Insights, Wasim Qazi Dr., Halah C. Simon, Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The nationalization of industry and education in the early 1970s resulted in the deterioration of private sector with minimal investment in this field. This continued into late 90s with Pakistan recording comparatively low public spending on education as a percentage of GDP . Thus the government of Pakistan, in an effort to enhance intellectual capital and enrollments, established the Higher Education Commission (HEC) assigned to evaluate, improve and promote the higher education and research culture in both public and private sectors in Pakistan. Since its establishment in 2002, the HEC has “undertaken a systematic process of implementation of the five-year …

Rehabilitating Closed Schools: A Daunting Challenge For Pakistan, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid Jamil Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are 6034 non-operational schools in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh further complicating the work of the donor agencies; more than half of these non-operational schools (3843) only exist on papers. These shadow schools exist only to usurp international aid earmarked for education. Our research shows that proximity to the population; unavailability of teachers; and lack of infrastructure are some of the fundamental causes driving the closure of more than thirteen percent of schools. Our position is that a large number of these schools can be rehabilitated but that requires a three-phased plan. If implemented, proposed plan would enhance transparency …

District Flunked Test On Evaluating School Principals - Petrilli Trial Revealed Weakness, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A surprising revelation from Peggy Petrilli's unsuccessful racial discrimination suit against Fayette County Superintendent Stu Silberman was that principals rarely - if ever - get marked down on their evaluations. A Herald-Leader editorial was correct to say, "the district must do a better job of evaluating employees. ... employees who aren't accurately graded can't really be expected to improve." Given his considerable talents, it must have been difficult for the editorial board to pen comments critical of Silberman, although they softened it as much as they could.

Conduct Open Search For Ed Chief - Take A Lesson From Botched Job In 2007, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Public vetting can help the KBE avoid past problems and make a better decision. When public boards perform their duties on behalf of the public, citizens can provide valuable input and governors don't need to get involved. But this only works if the board is sincerely listening and remains open-minded.

Using Picture Books To Promote Understanding Of The Continent Of Africa In The Elementary Classroom, Dorothy N. Bowen

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

How may the elementary classroom teacher convey something of Africa's beauty, and make at least some part of the continent come alive for students?

Teacher Perception About Implementation Strategy Of B.Ed Teaching Practice In Real School Classrooms: Issues And Challenges, Wasim Qazi, Khalid Jamil Rawat, Muhammad Yousuf Sharjeel, Shila Devi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Teaching practice is the core component of all pre-service teacher education programs. Through teaching practice, a novice teacher is assumed to have inculcated a supposedly viable pedagogic experience to transfer the core competency of the subject knowledge to students in real classroom situation. This study encompasses the challenges and issues that the novice teachers experience at post-training level of their B.Ed programme of studies. The investigations also enlighten the gaps that the trained teachers have shared with the researchers. The study highlights the extent to which the on-training components of teaching practice is reflected in the attitude of the trained …

A Synthetic Teaching-Learning Model: A Contextualized Study, Wasim Qazi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The paper aims at institutionalizing instructional technology with a view to improving the quality of education. The conceptual framework developed in this paper reviews the existing status of training programs in light of the suggested initiatives of education sectors reforms (Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan -August-2003). It has been argued that major purpose of imparting professional training to teachers and administrators should be directed towards improvement of quality of education. In stating the problem the malaise underlining the teaching-learning process has been identified as a core issue. The teaching-learning process which is the hallmark of quality of education has …

Sustainable Teachers' Development: Exploring The Effect Of Follow-Up Support An An Element, Wasim Qazi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A professional development program with built-in follow up support mechanism was offered during years 2004-06 in selected districts of Pakistan. The training reportedly had sustained impact on teachers’ attitude toward teaching. This paper investigates the role of follow up support as an element of sustainable teacher development, and the part of teachers’ learning they could have implemented over the period after the end of project. Data was collected through classroom observations, interviews with these teachers and the head teachers of these schools, and analysis of lesson plans and reflective journals maintained by the teachers. Findings affirm that the follow up …

Another Look At African Cultures Through Picture Books, Dorothy N. Bowen

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

I realized how difficult it is to describe what life is like for a child growing up in Africa when I was asked to make a presentation to two 6th grade classes. In the course of the presentation, I said, "Africa is not a country:' I had to smile to myself as I saw the shocked look on the face of a little girl sitting right in front of me. Her mouth dropped open and I knew that she thought I had made a very great error.

Cancellations Tough To Call, Even For The Best School Chiefs - Silberman Retains Credibility By Not Trying To Snow Anyone, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The best school superintendents spend their waking hours communicating and driving district personnel to increase student achievement. They want high attendance, not low attendance. They want more school days, not fewer. They want to have school. The hardest decisions a school superintendent has to make are those that go beyond his control, such as deciding whether to call off school when bad weather threatens.

Addressing Sensitive Issues Through Picture Books, Dorothy N. Bowen, Melissa Schutt

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

It was a Wednesday morning, and the class of pre-service elementary teachers was discussing sensitive topics in children's picture books. Melissa had prepared several tables with representative literature dealing with topics such as divorce, adoption, sexuality, religion, and death, and students were reading and discussing the books. Suddenly Dorothy noticed a student clutching one of the books to her chest and smiling. Dorothy walked over to her and the student said, "I love this book. There were no books like this when I was a little girl."

Addressing Sensitive Issues Through Picture Books, Dorothy N. Bowen, Melissa Schutt

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

it was a Wednesday morning, and the class of pre-service elementary teachers was discussing sensitive topics in children's picture books. Melissa had prepared several tables with representative literature dealing with topics such as divorce, adoption, sexuality, religion, and death, and students were reading and discussing the books. Suddenly Dorothy noticed a student clutching one of the books to her chest and smiling. Dorothy walked over to her and the student said, "I love this book. There were no books like this when I was a little girl."

A Phenomenological Interpretation Of John Dewey's View On Education, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid Rawat

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Education in our times is promoting nihilism. The reason for this conclusion is that modern education is largely knowledge based and asks the learner to learn ideas that have nothing in common with the reality of the learner. Knowledge, on the other hand, does not enjoy absolute value, and, to say that a person who has more knowledge is more valuable is wrong. John Dewey’s criticism on traditional education is equally valid for modern education, for modern education is not performing its functions properly. The function of education is to establish a strong relationship between learner and Being. However, modern …

Keep An Eye On Northern, Richard E. Day

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Will Fayette County schools Superintendent Stu Silberman achieve his goal to make the academy one of the highest-achieving schools in the state without changing its demographics? In January, Silberman told parents that much of their children's low-test-score problem could be attributed to the principals and their ability to motivate their staffs. He said principals -- one at a high-scoring school and one at a low-scoring school -- could be switched, and that the scores would flip-flop in two years. He subsequently selected Principal Peggy Petrilli to lead the new academy.