Education Commons^™

Selling Graduation: Higher Education And The Loaning Of Liberation, Annie Pocklington, Elizabeth J. Flanagan, Christopher Bodenheimer Knaus

Essays in Education

While the costs to attend college continue to rise exponentially, a bachelor’s degree is held up as required for economic stability within the U.S. and across the globe. With drastic disparities in earning potentials after graduation reduced by racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and related structural disparities, the value of a degree continues to be questioned, especially for historically marginalized communities. As the loan industrial complex continues to profit off of students, President Biden has offered $10,000 in student loan relief for some borrowers, though this action has been blocked by federal courts and is currently on hold. Whether Biden’s …

Developmental Achievement Versus Standardized Growth: Common Curricula & The Not So Common Student, Robert J. Howman, Corey Livieri

Essays in Education

Challenged is the presumed value of standardization in public education, especially the notion that student achievement is synonymous with performance on summative criteria insensitive to the unique characteristics of every child. This research was initially conducted during the 2010-11 regular academic year. It has since been replicated with similar results.

The overarching question driving the study: “How do educators effectively meet the individual needs of highly diverse students in this era of standardization?” In other words, how do we maintain the human element of teaching, which is so critical for positive child and adolescent development?

Examined are two team-taught 10 …

Onset Of Hearing Loss, Gender And Self Concept As Determinants Of Academic Achievements In English Language Of Students With Hearing Disability In Oyo State, Nigeria, J. Abiola Ademokoya, B. A. Shittu

Essays in Education

Since every class of students with hearing disability is always a heterogeneous one, the need for establishing relationship between some intrinsic factors in these students and their academic achievements becomes very imperative. This study therefore examined the influence of onset of hearing loss, gender and self concept on their academic performance in English language. 100 Senior Secondary School class III students with hearing disability were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study also raised 3 hypotheses to ascertain relationships between onset of hearing loss, gender, and self concept and English language achievement. Instruments such as the self concept …

Intellectually Retarded Education In Nigeria: Past, Present, And Future, Dada Olubukola

Essays in Education

Historically, the persons with intellectual retardation have been neglected in most cultures. In our African culture for instance families were concerned about their image in the society. So, they manage to hide their retarded members in the home environment. Today, the education of the intellectually retarded has recorded significant achievement despite the undeniable successes education of children with intellectual retardation is still being hindered by social prejudices and discriminations. This paper highlights the myriads of obstacles and challenges facing their education. The presenter therefore recommends way to improve the quality of their education for the future.

Drama Discovery: Setting The Stage For Students With Emotional/Behavioral Needs To Learn About Self, Shellie Hipsky

Essays in Education

The Drama Discovery Curriculum (Hipsky, 2006a) was piloted in a middle school classroom for eleven students with emotional/ behavioral disabilities and one student with delinquent behaviors at a small private alternative education school in Western Pennsylvania. Students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities often have low selfefficacy when it comes to explaining their own disabilities, coping with the label of having a disability, and the general issues that come from having a disability. The article begins by delving into what categorizes a student as having an emotional/behavioral disability. It then explores the compounding factors that often accompany the exceptionality, which include: …

How Cultural Dynamics And Teacher Preparation Affect The Educational Opportunities Of Minority Students, Dedrick J. Sims

Essays in Education

The academic achievement of minority students in this country has been an issue of debate for educators and policy makers since the origins of education in America. Education reform has failed to offer a permanent solution that does not blame the students for their failure. America’s “color-blind” attitude and it’s refusal to accept the effects of cultural differences in the learning process will lead to a continued increase in the academic achievement “gap” in our classrooms. In this paper I address the historical contributions of America’s “biased” and self-protecting mechanisms that still plaque the education system today, the effects of …

Title Ix And Booster Club Management: Experts’ Suggestions For Managing Challenging Scenarios, Peter S. Finley

Essays in Education

Title IX law prohibits discrimination at academic institutions that receive federal funding. Athletic programs fall under the purview of the law. As booster clubs, and the money they raise, become more important to successful sport programs, athletic directors must work diligently to ensure that their contributions do not cause inequity between the boys’ and girls’ programs. A number of challenges are presented by boosters who earmark giving to a single sport, booster clubs that represent only one sport and outperform those representing other sports, and in the process of transferring money from booster activities to the sports programs. This essay …

Remedying Unequal Access: The Role Of Outreach In Shaping College Opportunities For Underserved Students, Eddie Comeaux

Essays in Education

The discourse regarding affirmative action in California, stemming in recent years from the passing of SB 1 in 1995 and Proposition 209 in 1996, has major implications for African Americans’ struggle for higher education in California. This legislation signals a need to understand where African Americans are now and how to identify strategies and practices that are efficacious in improving access as well as preparing these students for competitive college eligibility. In an attempt to illuminate the current status of African American students in California, this article analyzes patterns and trends of academic preparation at the secondary level and undergraduate …

Supervising A Struggling Student Teacher: A Midterm Action Plan, Paul J. Riccomini, Robin E. Fish

Essays in Education

A large shortage of qualified special education teachers is one of the most serious and pervasive problems facing students disabilities. With both the quality and the quantity of special educators requiring improvement, teacher educators are becoming more aware of the necessity to train better-prepared special education teachers. In response to the problems, the Clemson University undergraduate program in Special Education has developed rigorous curricula and performance standards to prepare highly trained special educators. In addition to the standard program requirements, a systematic plan was developed to facilitate the improvement of struggling student teachers who are not meeting expected performance competencies. …

Minority Access To Higher Education And Its Social Outcomes, Noga Admon

Essays in Education

The social disadvantage of minority groups has been attributed to their inability to compete in the labor market due to lower rates of obtaining higher credentials, compared with middle-class Whites. During the 70’s and the 80’s, several large-scale policies attempted to promote minority access to higher education. This paper reviews two of these policies – the CUNY open admissions and the expansion of community colleges – and suggests that even though minority access to higher education has increased, this increase was counterbalanced by a rise in internal stratification within higher education. As a result, increased access did not generate equality …

Cultural Schizophrenia: An Examination Of Societal Practices And Their Academic Consequences, Hakim Shahid

Essays in Education

Socio-economic exclusion, unequal schooling, and social reproduction are code words describing facets of racism that subsist in education. As a doctoral student in higher education, I have come to realize that the astonishing depth of the achievement gap that exists in many schools across this nation may be for reasons other than academic ability. In fact, many ill-conceived ideological practices of dominant society have become manifested in the educational psyche of minority students in America. This paper examines the psychological phenomenon that exists in both dominant mainstream and oppressed minority groups that is the life force for this type of …

School Financial Equity Litigation: Black Hole Of Civil Rights, Michael W. Simpson

Essays in Education

This paper uses the sociology of the case and the legal sociology of Donald Black to examine the litigation over public school financing inequality. Initial examination is made of the United States Supreme Court decision in San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez and the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision in Fair School Finance Council of Oklahoma v. State of Oklahoma from a technical legal core perspective and a critical lens. Other cases are discussed along with other information to allow the reader a “big picture” of the issues and policies involved in the intersection of race, wealth, law, education, and …

Technological Inequality In Education, Matthew Kleiman, Joan Rudel Weinreich

Essays in Education

This paper investigates the technological divide: that gulf that develops between rich and poor school-age children, and how they gain access to and utilize either effectively or not the wealth of information technology promises to provide. Inequality of educational opportunity has existed since the very first schools in the United States, when men like Horace Mann tried to level the information playing field with the common school and common library.

The Dilemmas Of African-American Men From Historically Black Colleges And Universities In Completing Doctoral Degrees From Predominately White Institutions, Jeffrey Shears, Chance Lewis, Rich Furman

Essays in Education

This paper examines the experiences of two African-American men in their pursuit of doctoral degrees from predominantly white institutions. It presents an overview of other studies that discuss the unique challenges experienced by African American students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at these institutions. It also includes a case study that describes the struggles and difficulties of these two men, who completed their undergraduate degrees from two separate Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and completed their Ph.D. programs in separate Predominately White Institutions (PWI’s). The authors share their thoughts on the factors they felt were instrumental to their success, …

Social Competence, Transition Plans And Children With Learning Disabilities, Erica Ruegg

Essays in Education

Social competence is the ability to use the appropriate social skills in every aspect of life. For children with learning disabilities, it is a difficult skill to master. These children have trouble with communicating, following directions, listening and completing a task, which can cause problems in the classroom and in adulthood. Yet, these skills are rarely addressed on the individual education and transition plans for these students. The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of children who have learning disabilities and social competence deficits. The difficulties of social competence are examined through the definition of this skill, …

Including Students With Disabilities And Achieving Accountability: Educators’ Emerging Challenge, Martin J. Ward, Nicole Montague, Thomas H. Linton

Essays in Education

The nation-wide movement toward increased accountability in our schools has been implemented in large part through state-mandated standardized testing of students. The state assessments in Texas, as in many states, have a powerful influence on educators’ decisions and practices. Whether or not students with special learning needs are provided with an educational experience in the least restrictive environment is dependent upon the decisions and actions of educators. The high-stakes testing agenda in Texas influences decisions related to the inclusion of students with special learning needs. In this article, we examine the issue of how the inclusion of students with disabilities …

Socioeconomic Status, Race, Gender, & Retention: Impact On Student Achievement, June Thomas, Cathy Stockton

Essays in Education

The purpose of this article is to discuss the impact of socioeconomic status, race, gender, and retention on student achievement. Increasing attention has been paid to the quality of education in the United States as international reports compare the academic achievement of students in this country with others in the world. Many states are basing promotion of students on state assessments. High stakes testing has lead to higher retention rates in several states. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that students who are retained do not drop out of school and therefore get left behind.