Showing papers on "Primary education published in 1998"

Devolution and Choice in Education: The School, the State and the Market

Abstract: Prompted by the increasing number of attempts in various parts of the world to restructure and deregulate state schooling, this book sets out what we know of the theory and practice of devolved systems and considers the reasons for this policy shift and its consequences for efficiency, effectiveness, and equity within educational systems.

Service-Learning: Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Professions Education.

Abstract: In 1995, the Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation (HPSISN) program was launched under the auspices of the Pew Health Professions Commission as a national demonstration of an innovative form of community-based education called service-learning. The foundation of service-learning is a balanced partnership between communities and health professions schools and a balance between serving the community and meeting defined learning objectives. This article offers a definition of service-learning and an outline of its core concepts; it also describes how service-learning differs from traditional clinical education in the health professions. Further, the author discusses how service-learning programs may benefit students, faculty, communities, higher education institutions, and the relationships among all these stakeholders. The article concludes with brief descriptions of recommended resources for integrating service-learning into the medical school curriculum.

First Step to Success An Early Intervention Approach for Preventing School Antisocial Behavior

Abstract: This article reports results of a 4-year study designed to develop and initially evaluate a combined home and school intervention approach to preventing school antisocial behavior. The First Step to Success program targets at-risk kindergartners who show the early signs of an antisocial pattern of behavior (e.g., aggression, oppositional-defiant behavior, severe tantrumming, victimization of others). First Step to Success consists of three interconnected modules: (a) proactive, universal screening of all kindergartners; (b) school intervention involving the teacher, peers, and the target child; and (c) parent/caregiver training and involvement to support the child's school adjustment. The major goal of the program is to divert at-risk kindergartners from an antisocial path in their subsequent school careers. Two cohorts of at-risk kindergartners, consisting of 24 and 22 students, were identified and exposed to the First Step to Success program during the 1993–1994 and 1994–1995 school years, respectively....

Reducing Problem Behavior through a School-Wide System of Effective Behavioral Support: Investigation of a School-Wide Social Skills Training Program and Contextual Interventions.

Abstract: Increases in the prevalence and incidence of problem behavior in public schools has been a concern among teachers, families, and community members. Attempts to respond to the increased intensity an...

Catch Them before They Fall: Identification and Assessment To Prevent Reading Failure in Young Children.

Abstract: And the consequences of a slow start in reading become monumental as they accumulate exponentially over time. As Stanovich (1986) pointed out in his well-known paper on the \"Matthew effects\" (the rich get richer and the poor get poorer) associated with failure to acquire early word reading skills, these consequences range from negative attitudes toward reading (Oka & Paris, 1986), to reduced opportunities for vocabulary growth (Nagy, Herman, & Anderson, 1985), to missed opportunities for development of reading comprehension strategies (Brown, Palinscar, & Purcell, 1986), to less actual practice in reading than other children receive (Allington, 1984).

Facilitating the Transition to First Grade: The Nature of Transition and Research on Factors Affecting It.

Abstract: In this article we describe the nature of the first-grade transition and summarize several studies that have investigated how children's schooling proceeds over this period. Drawing on Beginning School Study data that include children's marks and test scores plus information about their parents and schools, we carried out a longitudinal study of a large random sample (N = 790) of children who began first grade in Baltimore in 1982. We studied effects on the transition for children attending full-day rather than half-day kindergarten, of living in different kinds of family arrangements, and of several other circumstances. We found that children with more kindergarten, those whose families included coresident grandmothers, and those who did not change schools between kindergarten and first grade did better over the transition, other things being equal. We close with a list of implications for practice based on what is known about the first-grade transition and offer suggestions for future research.

A Longitudinal Study of Gender Differences in Young Children’s Mathematical Thinking

Abstract: One area in which gender differences in mathematics have been studied minimally deals with strategies used to solve mathematical problems. The limited evidence available suggests that there may be some gender differences in problem-solving strategies. Differences have been found in grades 1-3, with girls tending to use observable strategies (such as counting) and boys tending to use mental strategies (Carr & Jessup, 1997). Gallagher and DeLisi (1994) studied high-ability secondary school students and reported that while there were no overall differences in the number of selected SAT items answered

The Relation of School Structure and Social Environment to Parent Involvement in Elementary Schools

Abstract: Employing a sample of 122 public elementary schools, the present study used results of parent and student surveys to examine relations among school structure, school population composition, parent involvement, and parent perceptions of school safety, school climate, the school facility, the helpfulness of school staff, the academic instruction, teacher-student relationships, and student recognition At the individual parent level, characteristics associated with higher participation in school activities included having a child enrolled in the gifted and talented program, a child in the second grade, multiple children enrolled in the public schools, and perceptions of a safe, empowering, and positive school climate In contrast, characteristics associated with lower parent participation in school activities included being Hispanic, African American, or Asian American; being of lower-socioeconomic status; having a child enrolled in either special education or the English-as-a-second-language program At the

Preschool behavior and first-grade school achievement : The mediational role of cognitive self-control

Abstract: Universit6 du Qutbec h Montrtal The purpose of this study was to test a model of school achievement that included children's intellectual abilities, preschool behavior, and cognitive self-control. It suggested that teacher-rated preschool behavior such as aggressive, anxious-withdrawn, and prosocial behaviors influence cognitive self-control, which in turn positively determines school achievement at the end of first grade (when controlling for intellectual abilities). Participants were 291 kindergarten children. Results from structural equation modeling demonstrated that all hypothesized path models were significant, except the one between anxious-withdrawn behavior and cognitive self-control. A second model was thus specified in which a path between anxious-withdrawn behavior and school achievement was estimated. The second model offered a better representation of the sample data (comparative fit index = .99, normormed fit index = .98), ×2(19, N = 286) = 29.43, p > .05, and the path between anxious-withdrawn behavior and school achievement was found significant. The role of preschool behavior and cognitive self-control in first-grade school achievement is discussed. There is a consensus that children's successful school transition from kindergarten to the first grade is particularly important because children's grades in the first years of school substantially affect subsequent achievement trajecto- ries (e.g., Alexander & Entwisle, 1988; Alexander, Entwisle, & Dauber, 1993; Ensminger & Slusarick, 1992; Reynolds & Bezrucko, 1993; Willms & Jacobsen, 1990). Moreover, children's poor school achievement may constitute a risk factor for mental health difficulties in later childhood or adolescence (e.g., Feldman & Wentzel, 1990; Tremblay et al., 1992) and in adulthood (Caspi, Elder, B Kazdin, 1985). Therefore, a quintessential research problem exists in identifying specific processes that could impair or facilitate children's academic performance during the first years of schooling. Particular attention has been given to the influence of the family processes (e.g., the affective climate, the cognitive stimulation, the quality of the parent-child interaction, parental involvement) and characteristics (e.g., socioeco- nomic level) on school achievement (Crane, 1996; Gorges & Elliott, 1995; Grolnick & Ryan, 1989; Pianta & Harbers, 1996). Children's school experience with peers and their Sylvie Normandeau, ,5.cole de Psychotducation, Universit6 de Montrtal; Frtdtric Guay, Dtpartement de Psychologic, Universit6 du Qutbec h Montrtal. This research was supported by grants from Le Fonds pour la Formation des Chercheurs et l'Aide ~t la Recherche (FCAR- Qutbec) and the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and also by a doctoral fellowship from SSHRC. We thank the children and teachers who so kindly participated in this study. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sylvie Normandeau, Ecole de Psychotducation, Universit6 de Montrtal, P.O. Box 6128, Station "Centre-ville," Montrtal, Qu6- bee, H3C 3J7, Canada. Electronic mail may be sent to normande@ere.umontreal.ca. engagement in the school as well as their school-related behavior, such as their motivation or beliefs about them- selves, have been considered in studies of middle-school children or adolescents (e.g., Beyer, 1995; Gottfried, Flem- ing, & Gottfried, 1994; Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994; Wentzel, 1991, 1993; Wentzel, Feldman, & Weinberger, 1991; Wentzel, Weinberger, Ford, & Feldman, 1990). Among the processes that have been associated with school achieve- ment, children's ability to engage in self-control (Kendall, 1993) is of particular importance during the early grades. Indeed, children's ability to concentrate on a task and to participate in the academic routine are determinants of their school achievement (Alexander et al., 1993). Such behavior during the early primary grades enhances learning opportu- nities and contributes favorably to school achievement. Therefore, it is important to focus on processes such as children's ability to engage in cognitive self-control in a learning situation. Cognitive serf-control abilities, along with self-efficacy perception and commitment to academic goals, are a key element involved in children's serf-regulated learning (Zimmerman, 1989, 1990). The current prospective study was undertaken to assess the interplay between children's behavioral characteristics and their ability to engage in cognitive self-control as predictors of their school achievement in first grade. Some limits identified in previous studies led us to consider the mediating role of children's cognitive self-control between their behavioral characteristics in kindergarten and their school performance in first grade. First, little is known about specific processes that could play a mediating role between children's preschool behav- ioral characteristics and later school achievement (Belsky & MacKinnon, 1994). Second, most of the studies that have considered the association between children's behavioral characteristics (anxious-depressive, aggressive, or prosocial 111

Charting Chicago School Reform: Democratic Localism As A Lever For Change

Abstract: In 1989, Chicago began an experiment with radical decentralization of power and authority. This book tells the story of what happened to Chicago's elementary schools in the first four years of this reform. Implicit in this reform is the theory that expanded local democratic participation would stimulate organizational change within schools, which in turn would foster improved teaching and learning. Using this theory as a framework, the authors marshal massive quantitative and qualitative data to examine how the reform actually unfolded at the school level.With longitudinal case study data on 22 schools, survey responses from principals and teachers in 269 schools, and supplementary system-wide administrative data, the authors identify four types of school politics: strong democracy, consolidated principal power, maintenance, and adversarial. In addition, they classify school change efforts as either systemic or unfocused. Bringing these strands together, the authors determine that, in about a third of the schools, expanded local democratic participation served as a strong lever for introducing systemic change focused on improved instruction. Finally, case studies of six actively restructuring schools illustrate how under decentralization the principal's role is recast, social support for change can grow, and ideas and information from external sources are brought to bear on school change initiatives. Few studies intertwine so completely extensive narratives and rigorous quantitative analyses. The result is a complex picture of the Chicago reform that joins the politics of local control to school change.This volume is intended for scholars in the fields of urban education, public policy, sociology of education, anthropology of education, and politics of education. Comprehensive and descriptive, it is an engaging text for graduate students and upper-level undergraduates. Local, state, and federal policymakers who are concerned with urban education will find new and insightful material. The book should be on reading lists and in professional development seminars for school principals who want to garner community support for change and for school community leaders who want more responsive local institutions. Finally, educators, administrators, and activists in Chicago will appreciate this detailed analysis of the early years of reform.

Canadian Teachers' and Principals' Beliefs about Inclusive Education as Predictors of Effective Teaching in Heterogeneous Classrooms

Abstract: In this study, we attempted to predict the performance of teacher behaviors associated with effective teaching in heterogeneous classrooms from a set of variables identified in the literature as important contributors to effective classroom practice. The variables-teacher beliefs and attitudes, principal beliefs and school norms, and teacher efficacy-were selected to represent the determinants of behavioral intention in Ajzen's widely used model of planned behavior. Data were collected in 33 classrooms (grades 2-8) from 12 schools. Teachers and principals provided questionnaire data for several measures of attitudes and beliefs about students with special needs and their inclusion in general education classrooms. Teachers also provided interview data and were observed using an instrument designed to measure effective teaching behaviors. Zero-order correlations and hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the strongest predictor of effective teaching behavior was the subjective school norm as operat...

Building Character in Schools: Practical Ways to Bring Moral Instruction to Life

Abstract: Young people in America today face a crisis of character. Traditional role models continue to disappoint the public, falling short of expectations and fostering cynicism rather than idealism. As a result, many young people struggle to distinguish right from wrong and seem indifferent to whether it matters. It clearly becomes the task of parents and schools to re-engage the hearts and minds of our children in forming their own characters. In Building Character in Schools, Kevin Ryan and Karen Bohlin draw from nearly fifty years of combined field experience to offer a practical guide to character education -- designed to help children to know the good, love the good, and do the good. Ryan and Bohlin provide a blueprint for educators who wish to translate a personal commitment to character education into a schoolwide vision and effort. They outline the principles and strategies of effective character education and explain what schools must do to teach students the habits and dispositions that lead to responsible adulthood -- from developing curriculum that reinforces good character development to strengthening links with parents. A useful resource section includes sample lessons, program guidelines, and a parents' list of ways to promote character in their children. Building Character in Schools clearly defines the responsibilities of adults and students in modeling and nurturing character and sets forth practical guidelines for schools seeking to become communities of virtue where responsibility, hard work, honesty, and kindness are modeled, taught, expected, celebrated, and continually practiced.

Case studies of families doing third-grade homework.

Abstract: In this article, we describe data from six cases studies of children doing third-grade homework with their parents. The study combined observation and interview data from children, parents, and teachers to take a close look at the dynamics of homework and its potential to develop self-responsibility in children. We discuss both methodology and results in the context of related investigations and modern theoretical direction. Our data provide clear evidence that everyday experiences with homework, as mediated by parents, provide opportunities for children to learn to cope with various difficulties and distractions associated with doing homework. How children seize those opportunities and begin to develop strategies and skills for doing homework, along with the nature of the mediation parents provide, are key topics for discussion. Our study suggests directions for future research, theory, and practice regarding homework.

"Moving On": Residential Mobility and Children's School Lives

Abstract: Parents are often warned of the negative impact of moving on children, but there has been little research on how the influence of moving may vary by family structure. The study presented here used data from the Child Health Supplement to the 1988 National Health Interview Survey to investigate the impact of mobility on the school lives of elementary-aged schoolchildren in families with both biological parents present and those in alternate family structures. The study found that children who have moved an average or above-average number of times are not significantly harmed if they reside in families in which both biological parents are present; however, for children in other family structures, any move is associated with an adverse school life

Broken Promises: Reading Instruction in the Resource Room

Abstract: Reading instruction and grouping practices provided for students with learning disabilities (LD) by special education teachers in the resource room were examined. Fourteen special education teachers representing 13 schools were observed three times over the course of 1 year and interviewed in the beginning and end of the school year. Results indicated that teachers primarily provided whole group reading instruction to relatively large groups of students (5 to 19), and little differentiated instruction or materials were provided despite the wide range (3 to 5 grade levels) of reading abilities represented. Most teachers identified whole language as their primary approach to reading, and little instruction that addressed word recognition or comprehension was observed.

Effective Academic Interventions in the United States: Evaluating and Enhancing the Acquisition of Early Reading Skills

Abstract: The alignment of assessment, intervention, and meaningful student outcomes is arguably one the most exciting developments in school psychology. This linkage is especially apparent in the areas of e...

The long‐term effectiveness of anti‐bullying work in primary schools

Abstract: Summary The DFE Sheffield Anti‐Bullying Project showed that schools can reduce the problem of bullying through the use of whole‐school anti‐bullying policies, curriculum exercises, environmental improvements and individual work with bullies and victims. However, the length of time necessary to plan these interventions meant that, in many cases, the work was not completed when the project evaluations ended. This study investigates the continuing progress made in primary schools in the year after the end of the project. Eleven heads took part in interviews; all schools had made some progress with policy development, and all used some curriculum resources. Most had continued with environmental improvements, but few had used the methods for dealing with bullies and victims. Four schools then administered the Olweus bullying questionnaire to all pupils between ages seven and eleven, 657 children taking part. Two schools had a consistent decline in reported bullying, one experienced a consistent rise and the ot...

Parent Involvement: The Key to Improved Student Achievement.

Abstract: There is a sizable body of research literature supporting the involvement of parents in educational settings and activities. Because the existing literature base on parent involvement is large and growing, we have chosen to present only a summary of selected research ndings and relevant literature in order to establish a framework underpinning the legitimacy of our parent involvement investigation. Epstein (1995) for example sets the stage by dening parent involvement as families and communities who take an active role in creating a caring educational environment. She further asserts that parents who are involved with their children’s education are those who consistently demonstrate good parenting skills, communicate with the school staff, volunteer their time in the school, help their children learn at home, take an active role in school-related decision making, and who regularly collaborate with the school community. Christensen and Cleary (1990) suggest that parents’ active involvement results in greater recognition of teachers’ skills, better teacher evaluations from their principals, enhanced parental understanding of the inner workings of the school, and higher school ratings in effectiveness and program success. Additionally, in schools where student achievement was reported, Loucks (1992) found that parent involvement was a signicant factor in both accelerated and sustained student academic performance. While we have little argument with the general premises stated above, we wanted to know if similar improvement might be attained by inner-city elementary students (specically third-grade students) if parents became more directly involved with their children’s education. To nd the answers,

The earth and beyond: developing primary teachers' understanding of basic astronomical events

Abstract: The demands on the primary school teacher in delivering the National Curriculum in England and Wales at Key Stage 2 (KS 2) for children aged 7‐11 years are considerable. Public debate concerning teacher subject knowledge and understanding, particularly in science, has raised the issue of the need for increased specialism in the primary school. A core element of this debate has focused on how to develop teacher subject knowledge for the effective delivery of the Programme of Study (POS) at KS 2 for practising teachers. This has resulted in the increased provision of in‐service courses in higher education and has also impacted significantly on course content in initial teacher training. This paper relates to the ‘The Earth and Beyond’ POS exploring factors which contribute to developing teachers’ understanding of basic astronomical events. Results indicate that providing teachers with the necessary skills and confidence to teach this aspect of science effectively is much more complex than simply explicating...

Environmental Education and Primary Children's Attitudes towards Nature and the Environment

Abstract: > Some shortcomings of the current UK National Curriculum policy of delivering environmental education through traditional subjects are outlined and provide the context for reporting the results of a pilot study into Year 5/6 school children's attitudes towards nature and the environment. Its findings indicate that while the attitudes of children of this age towards nature and the environment are generally very positive, they can involve a number of limitations, dichotomies and ambivalences which it will be important for their education to help them to address. Issues for educational policy and pedagogy, particularly the need for an enhanced role for pupil discussion and participation in environmental action, are raised.

Discrepancy Between Definitions of Learning Disabilities and School Practices An Empirical Investigation

Abstract: Students referred by general education teachers to school study teams (SSTs) were evaluated for learning disabilities (LD) eligibility. We classified children as LD on the basis of a WISC-III Full Scale IQ of 82 or higher and a 22-point discrepancy between IQ and any WRAT-R achievement score. Research decisions were then contrasted with actual school-based decisions regarding the child as LD. Over half of the students referred to SSTs were certified by the schools as LD, yet less than half of these school-certified students with LD evidenced the aptitude-achievement discrepancy required by the state. Examination of the cases called LD by the schools revealed that children were classified as LD on the basis of low absolute achievement, regardless of whether or not a discrepancy existed. Moreover, in cases where a discrepancy was found but the school did not classify the child as LD, that child evidenced significantly higher achievement, despite exhibiting the requisite 22-point discrepancy. The school-identified students with LD constituted an extremely heterogeneous group, including students with mental retardation along with a substantial number who failed to qualify for any special education services. Findings are discussed in terms of the discrepancy between criteria specified in state regulations and what the committee members at the school site seemed to use in classifying children with LD.