Education Commons^™

It Seemed Like Such A Good Idea: Making Sense Of How Two Schools, A Major Philanthropy, And A Prestigious Teacher Training Program Agreed On A School Reform Strategy That Was Bound To Fail., Brian C. Clark

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

This Capstone project is a reflection on the process through which a major Jewish Philanthropy, two Jewish Day Schools, and a major Teacher Training Program worked together to craft an agenda for school reform and technological progress. That four-month process is carefully narrated in a portion of this document, as is a postscript that explains subsequent events and outcomes. The analytical portion of this document follows, in which concepts drawn from Actor-Network Theory and sensemaking theory are used to make sense of how each institution contributed to the creation of inherently unworkable and impractical plans for school reform.

Teamwork: Crucible For Learning About Collaborative Leadership, Lisa Deangelis, Sherry H. Penney, Maureen A. Scully

Center for Collaborative Leadership Publications

In teaching leadership development we have developed and revised a model of teamwork and collaboration, which has yielded innovative and positive results. Our study draws on insights from more than 90 project teams, gathered over twelve years of a mid-career executive education program designed specifically to teach collaborative leadership. The teams work on a strategic dilemma with a business association or community organization, highlighting the civic engagement aspect of collaborative leadership. Teams devise their own operating procedures, refine (not simply manage) the project, create working relationships with multiple stakeholders, and present a deliverable within the nine-month span of the program. …

Latinos In Massachusetts Public Schools: Pittsfield, Michael Berardino, Valerie Watson

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a snapshot of current educational outcomes of Latino students in the city of Pittsfield. It is based on publicly available data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MADESE) that has been analyzed by the Gastón Institute for the 2014 Latinos in Massachusetts Regional Meeting in Pittsfield. This report uses the ethno-racial categories assigned by MADESE. It focuses on the evolving demographic trends and the most recent educational outcomes of Latino students relative to other ethno-racial groups in the school district and to students statewide. The first section illustrates the demographic shift occurring within the …

Latinos In Massachusetts Public Schools: Springfield, Michael Berardino

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a snapshot of current educational outcomes of Latino students in the city of Springfield. It is based on publicly available data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MADESE) that have been analyzed by the Gastón Institute for a community meeting in Springfield. This report uses the ethno-racial categories assigned by MADESE. It focuses on the evolving demographic trends and the most recent educational outcomes of Latino students relative to other ethno-racial groups in the school district and to students statewide. The first section illustrates the demographic shift occurring in the Springfield Public Schools, with …

Pa'lante! Toward The Presidency: Understanding Factors That Facilitate Latino Leadership In Higher Education, Gloria Lopez

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of my study was to explore the role of cultural values in the lived experiences of Latino college and university presidents at four-year higher education institutions and to determine how cultural values contributed to and reflected their professional strengths. Using the Community Cultural Wealth framework developed by Tara Yosso (2005) to capture the assets or forms of capital that people of color bring with them to all settings, this study utilized a strengths-based approach to examine the ways in which Latino higher education executives translated their cultural upbringing and values into skills and approaches that facilitated their ascension …

Institutional Conditions To Improve The Educational Outcomes Of Part-Time Community College Students, Rhonda M. Gabovitch

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Community college graduation rates are low for the entering cohort of degree or certificate-seeking students who have always attended full-time. After six years, four out of 10 students fail to earn a credential or continue to be enrolled. Graduation rates are even lower for students who enroll consistently on a part-time basis. Approximately three out of four of these students fail to earn a credential within six years. Much of the blame for failure of part-time students is attributed to their demographic characteristics, their lack of motivation, and poor educational preparation for college. Some of these characteristics result in their …

Beyond Assumptions: How Urban Students View And Practice Digital Literacies In And Out Of School, Storey Mecoli

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This qualitative, ethnographic case study investigates digital literacy practices and perceptions of students at an urban public high school in the Boston metropolitan area comprising a racially, ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse student body, an under-studied demographic. The study compares in-school and out-of-school literacy practices and posits the role schools might play in preparing learners. The study examines digital literacy practices among student based on information gathered through focus groups, survey methods, and interviews. Three controlling questions guided the study:

1. What digital literacy practices are students in Washington High School engaging in outside of school?
2. What purposes do these youth …

Current Issues In Emerging Elearning, Volume 1, Issue 1

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This first publication of Current Issues in Emerging eLearning (CIEE) opens and closes with research studies on eLearning practice. The studies frame three theoretical discussions regarding the judicious adoption of eLearning technologies and one extended narrative regarding the various factors behind innovative best practices.

Merced College: An Online Library Presence, Joselle L. Merritt

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Merced College has a number of courses being taught on line and that the number continues to grow. The college is currently implementing online courses that meet the requirements of California SB520, passed in May of 2013, requiring all California students to have access to online classes at any California community college. This applies only if the classes they need are not available at their home institution. Added to this is the requirement from the accrediting agency for California Community Colleges that all students, both distance and face-to-face have equal access to library resources. As more and more classes go …

Academic Achievement In Urban Settings: Sharing Ideas And Best Practices, Amy Cook, Brad Toney, Donald Coverdale, Laura Hayden

Counseling and School Psychology Faculty Publication Series

There are multiple barriers to academic achievement among students in urban settings. The focus of this session is to exchange ideas and best practices in assisting students in urban settings to overcome challenges to achieve. The presenters will also share recent findings in research and practice to further stimulate discussion.

3pointfoundation Partnership, Joan Arches

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

An exciting partnership in collaboration with the Division of Athletics, Recreation, Special Projects and Programs, and the College of Public and Community Service. The project involves students at UMass Boston and the 3PointFoundation which is affiliated with the Boston Celtics. Its mission is to provide academic support and mentoring to middle school urban males using basketball as an incentive and vehicle for growth and development. Through their roughly two hour weekly sessions they hope to build character, academic strength, and promote the pipeline to higher education.

Veterans Upward Bound: A Federally Funded Trio Program, Preparing Veterans For College At Umass Boston Since 1973, Veterans Upward Bound Program, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Veterans Upward Bound Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston provides a unique opportunity for men and women veterans of all ages to acquire the academic skills required for entry into higher education and/or to acquire the equivalent of a high school diploma.

Admission Guaranteed Program At Umass Boston, Academic Support Services And Undergraduate Studies, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Every student, whether low-income, first-generation, with a disability, or at high risk for academic failure, will develop the skills, knowledge, and motivation to successfully enroll in and complete postsecondary education.

Project Reach Talent Search At Umass Boston, Academic Support Services And Undergraduate Studies, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

We identify disadvantaged middle and high school students in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) who have the potential for education at the post-secondary level, we support those students as they complete a rigorous high school program of study, and we encourage them to enroll in programs of post-secondary education.

Impact Of The Young Athletes Program On Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders In Quincy Public Schools, Christopher B. Denning, Kathleen Ghio

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Center for Social Development and Education (CSDE) and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) are supporting the implementation of the Young Athletes (YA) program for preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Quincy Public Schools.

50-73% of children with ASD have significant motor delays compared to normative peers. Concerns include:

Delays in overall gross motor skills, including manual dexterity, balance, gait, motor coordination, and ball handling skills.
• Motor development appears to slow for two- and three-year-old children with ASD.

Young Athletes is a theoretically-based program designed to improve the motor development of children with disabilities (ages …

Camp Shriver – A Free Inclusive Summer Sports Camp For Children With And Without Disabilities, Mark Spolidoro, Barbara Gildea, Kathleen Ghio, Gary N. Siperstein

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Camp Shriver at UMass Boston is in its 9th year, providing a free and fully inclusive summer recreational program for children in the communities of Boston and Quincy.

Having served almost 1,000 campers, Camp Shriver at UMass Boston reaches out to children and families who have few opportunities, particularly families of children with disabilities.

Teach Next Year – Curriculum & Instruction Department, Lisa M. Gonsalves, Alicia Savannah

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The NOYCE Phase II project aimed “to increase the number of highly qualified STEM graduates entering the teaching profession, to prepare those teachers to be able to teach a wide range of urban students, and to build a continuum of teacher development for those teachers in their early teaching careers.” A report contained commendations and recommendations for the UMASS Boston TNY Program, based on analysis of data collected from the 2013 EOY survey that addressed the five NOYCE Phase II goals, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Competency Standards for teachers.

Developing Counselor Self-Efficacy While Supporting At-Risk Youth: Partnership Between Umass Boston, Techboston Academy, And Urban Science Academy, Robert Gracia, Laura A. Hayden, Amy L. Cook, Allie Scherer

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Targeted supervision was used to develop counseling trainees’ self-efficacy when working with urban youth. Interview findings suggested that intentional strategies to develop urban self-efficacy were effective. While inferential statistics identified that urban fieldwork contributed to counselors’ self-efficacy, intentional strategies were not necessarily beneficial. This study yields implications for counselor educators who are incorporating field work into their graduate programs.

The Value Of Teamwork, Oderra Jones

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Beacons Academy is a collaboration between UMass Boston Athletics, Codman Academy, Dorchester YMCA and the Walter Denney Youth Center to expose students in our local community to sports they may or may not have played through instructional sessions with our intercollegiate coaches and athletes. The goal is to teach the sport while also promoting the value of education, hard work, and teamwork.

Office Of Career Services And Internships: Community Engaged Employer Partnership Model, Mark Kenyon, Matthew Power-Koch

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Students in all academic areas are prepared to achieve career success in a global society. The Office of Career Services and Internships is a strategic partner with community and employer constituents to enhance the UMass Boston experience.

Educational Engagement In Boston’S Vietnamese Community: Asian American Studies Program Student-Faculty-Alumni Engagement With Teachers, Students, And Families Of The Mather School (Bps) In Dorchester, Asian American Studies Program, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Founded in 1639, the Mather Elementary School in Dorchester is the oldest public elementary school in the US. In 2012, nearly 40% of Mather students were Vietnamese American from immigrant households. The Mather School’s Vietnamese Structured English Immersion (SEI) program is the largest in Boston. In 1993, Ngoc-lan (Loni) Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee student in education and Asian American Studies at UMass Boston, was hired as a 4th grade bilingual teacher. Many of Lan’s students later attended UMass Boston where they reconnected educationally with the importance of Vietnamese American identity, community, and empowerment in AsAmSt courses. In 2007, Lan visited …

Summer Youth Blog, Urban Scholars, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Office Of Information Technology, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Office Of Communications, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

In an effort to expose youth to careers in information technology and journalism, Urban Scholars, the Office of Information Technology, and the Office of Communications partnered this past summer to offer two high school graduates an internship focusing on the development of a summer youth blog. The two interns, Jennie Lai and Trammel Griffith, who currently attend UMass Boston and Mass College of Liberal Arts respectively, were mentored by UMass Boston staff Akunna Rosser, Colleen Locke, and Lisa Link. The interns were given the task of developing a blog that would publicize the many youth programs on UMass Boston’s campus …

Adopting Evidence-Based Practices In Elementary School Math: The Collaborative For Improvement Of Problem Solving (Cips), Scott Methe, Meghan R. Silva, Kristin Iodice, Carrie Fortunato, Sheila Desai

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Two key activities in building and sustaining a change-based model are (a) enhancing buy-in for the change and (b) evaluating capacity to evaluate the change before, during, and after adoption. Unfortunately, the construct of buy-in is frequently used but poorly defined. Furthermore, adopting precise methods to evaluate implementation of evidence-based practices is challenging for schools. Partnerships with universities have been shown to help schools better understand the complexity of sustained change (Shernoff et al., 2011). This poster discusses methods used by the UMass-Boston and Burlington Public Schools Collaborative for the Improvement of Problem Solving (CIPS) to enhance the use of …

Success Boston: College Completion Initiative, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Vision: All graduates of the Boston Public Schools will complete college. Mission: We provide intensive coaching support and wraparound services to incoming Boston Public Schools (BPS) graduates through their critical first year and until their graduation from UMass Boston. Our coaches (from both UMass Boston and our nonprofit partners) work closely with students, offering activities that increase academic success and build community and engagement.

U-Access & Phfeast – Food Security Partnership, Shirley Fan-Chan, Dan Napierski

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Office of Urban and Off-Campus Support Services, otherwise known as U-ACCESS, employs a multi-disciplinary approach to assist students who are dealing with a multitude of issues such as homelessness, emancipated from foster care, food insecurity and financial struggles. Phfeast, Inc. is a new start-up operating in the Venture Development Center and provides a restaurant loyalty program where customers earn dining gift cards for people in need.

Massachusetts Education Partnership: Policy, Leadership, Labor-Management Collaboration, Nancy Peace, John W. Mccormack Graduate School Of Policy And Global Studies, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Edward J. Collins, Jr., Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Massachusetts Education Partnership (MEP) is a collaborative endeavor on the part of four education-related organizations representing teachers, superintendents, and school committees and four research institutions. By working together, the Partnership aims to improve student achievement through labor-management collaboration and to foster the development of collaborative cultures in Massachusetts school districts. As of March 1, 2014, the MEP has trained labor and management leaders from 34 school districts in interest-based bargaining (IBB) and provided intensive facilitation to seven school districts where labor and management are working collaboratively on a program or issue of their choosing.

Calderwood Writing Initiative, Charlestown High School, Another Course To College, Snowden International School, Denise Patmon

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Since 2010, UMass Boston has received funding from the Calderwood Writing Initiative to improve the quality of the teaching of writing in Boston area schools through two major programs that constitute this collaborative work.

Beacon Voyages For Service, The South: A Comparative Look At Hunger, Homelessness And Poverty In North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, And Louisiana, Beacon Voyages For Service, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Beacon Voyages for Service (BVS) is a student run program within the Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement that coordinates Alternative Break Programs. In January , 2014, 11 students embarked on a two week road trip to take a comparative look at hunger and homelessness in the southern United States. Along the route they partnered with 8 different organizations to learn about the effects of hunger and homelessness in this region.

Providing Staff And Program Development For Boston-Area Adult Basic Education Programs, Adult Literacy Resource Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, System For Adult Basic Education Support (Sabes), College Of Education And Human Development, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Adult Literacy Resource Institute (part of UMass Boston since 1983, and 100% grant-funded) serves as the Greater Boston Regional Support Center for SABES, the state’s System for Adult Basic Education Support. We provide staff and program development services to adult basic education programs in the Boston area, especially the approximately 40 programs in the region (most located at community-based organizations) that are funded by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and that offer ESOL, basic literacy and numeracy, high school equivalency preparation, and other classes (including family literacy, civics education, career pathways, and college transition).

Upward Bound At Umass Boston, Upward Bound, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Jeremiah E. Burke High School, Dorchester Academy, Madison Park High School, Excel High School

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Every participant in Upward Bound, whether low-income, first-generation, or at high risk for academic failure, will develop the skills, knowledge, and motivation to enroll in and complete postsecondary education. We prepare participants for enrollment in and completion of postsecondary education. Through a year-round program, we address a wide range of learning needs and provide courses, tutoring, advising, workshops, and other services to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.