Education Commons^™

Table Of Contents And Introductory Materials For Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015-2016, Bruce Quantic

The Advocate

This content includes the table of contents and editorial information for vol. 23, issue 1 (Fall - Winter 2015 - 2016).

Assessment Accommodations For English Language Learners Using The Student Language Assessment Plan, Sherri G. Brantley

The Advocate

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the assessment accommodation process for English Language Learners (ELLs) on high-stakes testing (HST). It is understood the accommodation process is a challenge for school staff members that administer assessments to ELLs. This study addressed the problem of accountability and identification systems for ELLs by: (a) investigating the assessment accommodation process used by the study school; (b) understanding the perceptions of educators regarding the assessment accommodation process, and; (c) exploring the assessment accommodation tool used by educators to document appropriate accommodations for ELLs.

Pre-Service Teacher & Mentor Clinical Experiences, Kevin L. Splichal

The Advocate

Effective clinical experiences that pre-service teachers and pre-service teacher educators participate in are crucial for instruction to be highly effective and successful. However, the dynamics of different participating schools, mentors, instructors, and pre-service teachers add hundreds of variables to the quality of those experiences. How pre­service teachers and mentors perceive those clinical experiences can help unravel those variables and provide ways to increase quality. Based on the research, one key question is foremost as a priority, namely, what are the characteristics of pre-service teacher and the mentor relationships? Further, do those relationships equate to effective clinical experiences for pre­service teachers?

Read4respect Service-­Learning Project: Motivating And Engaging Students In Reading, Valerie Zelenka, Eric Deneault, Keith Dreiling, Beth Walizer

The Advocate

This paper discusses an after­school service­learning project implemented over the course of the school year in a low SES elementary school. This project offered a sustained, coordinated effort to motivate and engage 57 struggling readers in a skills­based literacy tutoring program. A paired two-sample t­test was conducted to determine if there was a significant increase in scores from the reading attitude pre-survey to the post­survey for the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. Increases in attitude scores were found for 13 of the 20 survey questions with three of the increases found to be significant.

Keeping Community Stakeholders Informed About The Rationale For Program Changes (Editorial), John Morton

The Advocate

An editorial comment: Communication is the key element in much of education. Gathering input and utilizing the information to help educators understand community perceptions is a vehicle that has long been underutilized in schools.

The Impact Of The Common Core State Standards:The Top Five Shifts In Literacy Instruction, Carolyn Carlson

The Advocate

The Common Core State Standards Initiative adopted a goal of having every student in the United States college and career ready by the end of high school. As a result, the CCSS English/Language Arts have influenced the way teachers approach literacy instruction. Since the implementation of the CCSS (or standards similar to the actual CCSS but that vary slightly), there have been five main shifts in literacy instruction. Regardless of grade level, content area, or student characteristics (struggling, gifted, etc.), all instruction is impacted by these five shifts.

The Feasibility Of Virtual Service-­Learning, Lorie Cook-Benjamin, Chapman Rackaway Ft. Hays State University

The Advocate

This study assessed attitudes regarding the effectiveness of discipline­based service-learning within the virtual environment. The study, conducted at a comprehensive Midwestern state university, collected data using a Likert-scale survey and reflections. Research on virtual service-learning is sparse making it a field ripe with research opportunities. The quantitative results suggest virtual learners are not provided opportunities for service-learning commensurate with their in-person cohort. For one discipline, the qualitative data suggests there is a need for multiple and synchronous communication, and reflection at multiple points throughout the semester. The study validated literature on the need to use active learning pedagogies across disciplines.

Secular Spirituality And The Foundations Of Education Classroom, Don Hufford

The Advocate

Every institution of higher education serves in some measure as a community of imagination in which every professor is potentially a spiritual guide and every syllabus a confession of faith (Parks, p. 159).

In a somewhat radically-inspired foundations of education classroom, I seek to stimulate thinking, and questioning ­ a little philosophical wondering and wandering - when I toss-out the statement that "teaching is a spiritual journey – as is life itself.”

Table Of Contents And Introductory Materials For Vol. 22, No. 3, 2015, Bruce Quantic

The Advocate

This content includes the table of contents and editorial information for vol. 22, issue 3 (Spring - Summer 2015).

Development Of A Standard-Based Instrument For Assessing Principal Leadership, Mingchu Neal Luo

The Advocate

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a scale of instrument, the Principal Leadership Index (PLI), to assess principal leadership practices within the framework of ELCC (2011) standards adopted by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Items of the PLI were initially developed by the researcher followed by expert reviews in the field of school leadership and a pilot test. The instrument was used to collect the empirical data from 73 principals, which were investigated with exploratory factor analyses, reliability tests, and multilevel analyses. Results reveal four unique constructs for the leadership dimensions, showing robust …

T-Shirts For College Bound Students: A School-University Service-Learning Project, Kathryn Wallert, Beth Walizer

The Advocate

This paper explores how service-learning projects provide university students experiential learning opportunities to participate in innovative activities. While educating and fostering development through mentoring and teamwork, university students enhanced critical thinking and interpersonal skills, gained background knowledge of the elementary school, implemented the project, reflected on their experiences, and evaluated the project. The project encouraged elementary students to achieve their goals by instilling the expectation of furthering a higher education after secondary school. In addition to providing a service to the children, university students identified through their reflections the connection between their service and what they have acquired academically.

Mosaic: Teaching Cultural Competence, Douglas P. Smith, Sonja Ezell, Jason Brooks

The Advocate

Emporia State University sponsors a weekend, off-site program, MOSAIC, where participants explore issues of identity development, privilege, social inequality, and discrimination - the tenants of cultural competency. MOSAIC helps participants enhance their worldview and a greater appreciation of cultural competence through a series of large and small group activities. By creating these experiences and opportunities, participants are more apt to work effectively in a variety of situations, with a mix of culturally diverse people such as those found on a college campus. By leveraging these skills the university community can be benefited to have better outcomes.

Electronic Observation: 21st Century Model For Excellence In Teaching And Learning, Peggy Forsberg, Sue Jenkins, Kelly Gillespie

The Advocate

Assessing effective instruction, in support of student achievement is a requirement for institutional accreditation. Simultaneously, considering overall student success, “among school-related factors, teachers matter most” (Teachers Matter, n.a.). If education was a jigsaw puzzle, a missing piece is a strategic method of observing teachers to support institutional effectiveness. A system to monitor practice and expected outcomes; to generate dynamic data that drive decision-making; and to ensure program standards are met in a continuous improvement model (Cervone & Martinez-Miller, 2007; Downey et al., 2004). Walk-through observation is that system, a powerful and intentional missing puzzle piece (Glasgow, et.al., 2014)

Staff Development Modifications Necessary To Increase Teacher Readiness For Change To Common Core State Standards, Kirsten Limpert

The Advocate

Staff development is a crucial piece for successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). A complete plan must be developed that focuses on implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The focus for this plan should be on teacher needs with an aim to improve student learning. If teacher needs are considered and they see the value for their students, teachers will be more likely to not only accept this change but become actively involved in planning for implementation of CCSS.

Literacy Applications For Today's Learner, Vickie Johnston, Michael Lancellot

The Advocate

Common Core English Language Arts Standards and changing technologies have shifted the ways students and teachers select and read text. Reasons for the lack of digital literacy implementation in instruction are due to the large amount of choices available without sufficient background information on how to critically evaluate literacy applications. This article presents the framework of the Common Core English Language Arts Standards and how they are used to enhance literacy instruction through implementation of literacy technology applications. Limitations and advantages of digital applications are explored, descriptions of the applications are provided, and strategies for implementation in the English/Language Arts …

Understanding The Role And Challenges Of Ell Departments At Public Schools: An Inquiry From Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives, Nilufer Guler, Jessica Christman, Jenna Larson, Ariane Smith

The Advocate

Number of English Language Learners (ELLs) at U.S. public schools is increasing each year, and putting more and more mainstream teachers in need of teaching to this student group. ELLs are a vulnerable group with low academic success level and high drop-out rate. Preparing in-service and pre-service teachers to teach these students is crucial since ELLs need special accommodations and scaffolding to be more successful academically. In addition, research on mainstream teachers and ELL students have uncovered that mainstream teachers may have some wrong and unwelcoming perceptions of ELLs. This study investigates how taking a class on ELL education affects …