Education Commons^™

Assessment Of Teacher Dispositions With The Etq2: A Guided-Reflection And Rasch Model Analysis, W. Steve Lang, Lasonya L. Moore, Judy Wilkerson

LaSonya Moore

School Choice: Structured Through Markets And Morality, Thomas J. Lasley, Carolyn Ridenour

Carolyn S. Ridenour

School choice is increasingly promulgated as a promising education reform policy for failing urban schools, but no solid evidence has yet shown the promise fulfilled. The authors argue that choice based on market theory without a moral center is insufficient. Without a moral foundation, such market-driven choice programs may actually disadvantage some children further. A market approach, absent a moral perspective, fails to encompass all the necessary dimensions for an educational system that can fulfill the traditional commitment to the common good and effectively serve all urban children, their families, and society. Six moral principles are offered along with examples …

'Divertual' Learning In Education Leadership: Implications Of Teaching Cultural Diversity Online Vs. Face To Face, Carolyn Ridenour, A. Llewellyn Simmons, Timothy J. Ilg, A. William Place

Carolyn S. Ridenour

What are the consequences of this teaching-learning situation when graduate students in a Department of Educational Leadership are enrolled in a course on cultural diversity? Might the words on the computer screen be completely unrelated to the humanity, personality, style, interpersonal behaviors, and dispositions of the student writing them, as Menand suggests? Or, might the detachment provide a security in which the most honest and unadulterated discourse can be shared between teacher and students, as some proponents hope? In this chapter we explore responses to this dilemma. We attempt to capture this situation in our label: "divertual learning," a neologism …

Religious Freedom In A Brave New World: How Leaders In Faith-Based Schools Can Follow Their Beliefs In Hiring, Charles J. Russo

Charles J. Russo

A confluence of litigation at the Supreme Court raises important, yet potentially conflicting, questions about the freedom of employers in religious schools1 to hire teachers and staff members. On the one hand, in Hosanna-Tabor v. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission,2 a unanimous Court reasoned that the ministerial exception granted religious leaders alone the authority to choose who is qualified to teach in their schools. On the other hand, the Court’s rulings on same sex-unions seem to be ushering in a brave new world. For example, in United States v. Windsor,3 the Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act thereby requiring …

Mass Media Created Stereotypes: Influence On Student Learning, Nasser Razek, Ghada M. Awad

Nasser Razek

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the case of Saudi students at Riversdale State University (a pseudonym) with regard to the influence of the stereotype threat (McGlone & Aronson, 2007) created by TV and newspaper coverage when presenting images of Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, or the Muslim world. The study also aims at revealing the effects that the perception of the aforementioned stereotype can have on the academic success, social integration, and persistence of Saudi students. The research follows the qualitative approach to reveal the human aspects of the case and the degree of intensity that …

Youth Participatory Action Research And The Future Of Education Reform, Oiyan Poon, Jacob Cohen

OiYan Poon

This article presents a youth participatory action research (YPAR) study, which was conducted through a theoretical lens incorporating the social justice youth policy framework and Critical Race Theory. Led by youth from the Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association (VAYLA), the study explored the impacts of post-Katrina school reforms on student experiences at six New Orleans high schools. The findings from the study exposed troubling educational disparities by race, class, limited English status, and geography. The YPAR project’s results counter neoliberal reform advocates’ narrative of a post-Katrina New Orleans school “miracle.” This article illuminates YPAR as both research method and pathway …

Working Students’ Perceptions Of Paying For College: Understanding The Connections Between Financial Aid And Work, Mary Ziskin, Mary Ann Fischer, Vasti Torres, Beth Pellicciotti, Jacquelyn Player-Sanders

Mary B. Ziskin

For many students at urban commuter colleges, the process of financial aid is unknown or mysterious; and so they work—often many hours a week—to pay expenses that financial aid might have covered. Missteps, unforeseen events, and limited resources can have severe consequences for the academic progress of these students. The broader study, of which this paper is a part, represents an effort to explore and describe students’ college-going, working, family responsibilities, and academic success at three commuter institutions in a metropolitan region in the Midwest. The encompassing project aims to introduce new qualitative data and situated description into the study …

Institutional Merit-Based Aid And Student Departure: A Longitudinal Analysis, Jacob P. K. Gross, Don Hossler, Mary B. Ziskin, Matthew S. Berry

Mary B. Ziskin

The use of merit criteria in awarding institutional aid has grown considerably and, some argue, is supplanting need as the central factor in awarding aid. Concurrently, the accountability movement in higher education has placed greater emphasis on retention and graduation as indicators of institutional success and quality. In this context, this study explores the relationship between institutional merit aid and student departure from a statewide system of higher education. We found that, once we account for self-selection to the extent possible, there was no significant relationship. By contrast, need-based aid was consistently related to decreased odds of departure.

Mass Media Created Stereotypes: Influence On Student Learning, Nasser Razek, Ghada M. Awad

Nasser A Razek

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the case of Saudi students at Riversdale State University (a pseudonym) with regard to the influence of the stereotype threat (McGlone & Aronson, 2007) created by TV and newspaper coverage when presenting images of Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, or the Muslim world. The study also aims at revealing the effects that the perception of the aforementioned stereotype can have on the academic success, social integration, and persistence of Saudi students. The research follows the qualitative approach to reveal the human aspects of the case and the degree of intensity that …

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

Laura A Hayden

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.

Urban Education Reform- Case Study: North Forest Independent School District, Jay K. Aiyer, Michael O. Adams, Subria Lapps

Michael O Adams

Education reformers and advocates have conducted extensive studies and produced significant research around various models of school turnaround and reform. As a case study for policy in relation to models for school district turnaround, we will explore Houston’s North Forest Independent School District (NFISD). The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, as a study of policy we will retroactively explore the key factors that led to the proposed closure of NFISD. Second, using existing strategies of school turnaround, we will explore potential models of reform that may be applied to NFISD. Third, we will discuss biases and recommendations concerning …

Examining Media Bias Surrounding Black Higher Education: The Dominant Culture’S Portrayal Of Historically Black Colleges In The Media, Charmaine E. Troy

Dr. Charmaine E. Troy

In recent years, an examination of the media’s coverage of historically black colleges portrays endless skepticism about the accountability and academic inferiority of HBCUs. Various media outlets have questioned the continued need of HBCUs in post racial society. Gasman (2006) argues that articles in the media have gained national attention, often jeopardizing the recruitment efforts, fundraising success and long term existence of these institutions (p.112). The current study examines the bias evident in the portrayal of historically black colleges in the media. This critical analysis examines the bias evident in the portrayal of historically black colleges in the media. I …

Catholic Schools, Urban Neighborhoods, And Education Reform, Margaret F. Brinig, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Margaret F Brinig

This Article explores the implications of a dramatic shift in the American educational landscape—the rapid disappearance of Catholic schools from urban neighborhoods. Primarily because of their strong track record of educating disadvantaged children, these school closures are a source of significant concern in education policy circles. While we are inclined to agree that Catholic school closures contribute to a broader educational crisis, this Article does not address well-rehearsed debates about educational outcomes. Rather than focusing on the work done inside the schools, we focus on what goes on outside them. Specifically, using three decades of data from the Project on …

Perceptions Of Beauty And Identity: The Skin Bleaching Phenomenon In Jamaica, Petra A. Robinson

Petra A Robinson

Founded on the significance of the skin bleaching phenomenon in Jamaica, and the persistent influences of colonialism, the purpose of this paper is twofold: (a) to explore the skin bleaching phenomenon and (b) to provide a snapshot of how colonialism (despite national independence) influences perceptions of beauty and identity in Jamaica, particularly through informal learning. Based on an empirical study, the research sought to explore and understand the perceptions and motivations behind the practice of skin bleaching, given the historical and social context, and how it influenced the participants’ perceptions of beauty and identity.

Family And Community Engagement In Charter Schools, Brian R. Beabout, Lindsey B. Jakiel

Lindsey B. Jakiel

No abstract provided.

Portfolio Management Districts And Rebuilding Inequality, Brian R. Beabout

Brian R. Beabout

Despite over fifty years of near-constant educational reform movements in the USA, most attempts at improving outcomes in urban public schools have meet with predictable failure (Sarason, 1990). The recently coined term Portfolio Management Models (Bulkley, Henig & Levin, 2010) describes a reform to citywide governance in which the district serves as a coordinator of public education services, rather than the single provider of these services. Cities such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans are noted for having schools run by a variety of groups including national and local charter operators, magnets and neighborhood schools run by the …

Reauthorizing Esea: Considerations For Dropout Prevention And Recovery, Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant

Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant

No abstract provided.

Urban School Reform And The Strange Attractor Of Low-Risk Relationships, Brian R. Beabout

Brian R. Beabout

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, school leaders in a newly decentralized school system reached out to external organizations for partnerships—a job that had previously resided in the central office. The necessity of these contacts and the quantity of newly independent schools make a unique context for studying how school leaders think and act in relation to external partnerships. Iterative interviews with 10 New Orleans public school principals reveal a range of external partnerships that can be classified into a three part taxonomy consisting of charitable relationships, technical support relationships, and feedback relationships. A discussion of low-risk relationships …

Urban School Reform And The Strange Attractor Of Low-Risk Relationships, Brian R. Beabout

Brian R. Beabout

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, school leaders in a newly decentralized school system reached out to external organizations for partnerships—a job that had previously resided in the central office. The necessity of these contacts and the quantity of newly independent schools make a unique context for studying how school leaders think and act in relation to external partnerships. Iterative interviews with 10 New Orleans public school principals reveal a range of external partnerships that can be classified into a three part taxonomy consisting of charitable relationships, technical support relationships, and feedback relationships. A discussion of low-risk relationships …

Attempts At Reforming Haiti's Education System: The Challenges Of Mending The Tapestry, 1979-2004, Marc Prou

Marc E. Prou

For well over a quarter of a century, Haiti's education system has been at a critical juncture. In 1982, Haiti embarked on a major educational reform, known as La Reforme Bernard. To date, there has been no comprehensive, longitudinal study of the nationwide impact of the Bernard Reform on the social, economic, and political institutions. Why was such a dramatic education reform proposed? What went wrong during the implementation of the reform? Was Bernard education Reform a success or a failure? These are some of the questions addressed in the article. the school system had become a perennial challenge for …

What Would Vincent Do? Vincentian Higher Education And Poverty Reduction, Marco Tavanti, Craig Mousin

Marco Tavanti

The worldwide Vincentian major higher education institutions have best practices and pedagogical innovative strategies for linking their educational mission with poverty alleviation. This edited volume includes experiences from DePaul University, St. John;s University, Niagara University, Adamson University, Santa Isabelle University and All Hallows College.

More Fully Human: Principals As Freirian Liberators, Brian R. Beabout

Brian R. Beabout

This article calls for an investigation into a new breed of urban school leadership consistent with Freirean notions of dialogue, praxis, and pedagogy (Freire, 1993) in work with youth. Critical theorists have called for educational practices that emphasize the political role that teachers and students play in the educational process. Their vision of education calls for students to locate themselves in the historical process that has left them with little to count on and to struggle against social reproduction that gives life to the inequality that is so pernicious in capitalist American society. The central question is: How can principals …

Health Education Achievement Test, Dr. Uche J. Obidiegwu

Prof. Uche J. Obidiegwu

This study developed and validated a diagnostic health education achievement test for adult learners in Anambra State. Two research questions and a research hypothesis guided the study. The instrument was pretested. Following the result of the pilot test, a total of 96 multiple choice test items were administered to 1, 342 adult learners. The analysis of the data was carried out using item analysis. Kuder-Richardson formula ‘21’ was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument. Finally, t-test was used to test the hypothesis. Based on the results, some recommendations were made.

What Would Vincent Do? Vincentian Higher Education And Poverty Reduction, Marco Tavanti, Craig Mousin

Craig B. Mousin

The worldwide Vincentian major higher education institutions have best practices and pedagogical innovative strategies for linking their educational mission with poverty alleviation. This edited volume includes experiences from DePaul University, St. John;s University, Niagara University, Adamson University, Santa Isabelle University and All Hallows College.

Black, Mulatto And Light Skin: Reinterpreting Race, Ethnicity And Class In Caribbean Diasporic Communities, Marc E. Prou

Marc E. Prou

In recent years, Caribbeanists of different academic specialization and intellectual orientation have demonstrated a renewed interest in the unholy trinity of race, class and ethnic matters. the renewed interest has reflected a continued, but rather an unsystematic attempt to account for the social characteristics of race, ethnicity, gender and class among Caribbean people, both at home and abroad. The current ethnic power relationships manisfested by the unequal distribution of wealth in Caribbean diasporic communities is the direct result of colonialist influence on race through exploitative practices of the plantocracy and selective immigration to create a Caribbean middle class.

Making School To College Programs Work: Academics, Goals, And Aspirations, Linda Serra Hagedorn, Shereen F. Fogel

Linda Serra Hagedorn

El Significado De La Muerte En El Vodu Haitiano, Marc E. Prou

Marc E. Prou

No abstract provided.

Haitian Creole Ideophones: An Exploratory Analysis, Marc Prou

Marc E. Prou

This article is an exploratory attempt to analyze the status of Creole ideophones through distinctive repetition, reduplication and onomatopoeic features of Haitian Creole, commonly known as Kreyol. It examines barious types of ideophones in Kreyol with the aim of understanding the processes of change in lexical categories, which involve the principles these processes manifest-- thereby showing, on the one hand, why these diverse types of ideophones should be classed together and referred to with a single term, 'ideophonization'; and, on the other hand, how this category of lexical items is to be distinguished from others.

Report On The Elementary Teacher Survey Pilot Study On Behalf Of The Columbus Urban Systemic Initiative, Steven R. Rogg

Steven R Rogg

This report completes the pilot study conducted by the Columbus Public Schools’ (CPS) Urban Systemic Initiative (USI)1 and the Center for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching in Mathematics Science and Technology (The Center@IMSA) of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA). This initial pilot study was designed to test the Elementary Teacher Survey prepared by the USI Teacher Support Teams. A validation study, to follow in the spring, will seek evidence of program impact on teaching practices in science and mathematics classrooms. In other words, it will validate the findings of the Elementary Teacher Survey via direct classroom observation …