Showing papers on "Primary education published in 2002"

School readiness. Integrating cognition and emotion in a neurobiological conceptualization of children's functioning at school entry.

Abstract: The author examines the construct of emotionality, developmental relations between cognition and emotion, and neural plasticity and frontal cortical functioning and proposes a developmental neurobiological model of children's school readiness. Direct links are proposed among emotionality, use-dependent synaptic stabilization related to the prefrontal cortex, the development of executive function abilities, and academic and social competence in school settings. The author considers research on the efficacy of preschool compensatory education in promoting school readiness and recommends that programs expand to include curricula directly addressing social and emotional competence. Research should focus on the ontogeny of self-regulation and successful adaptation to the socially defined role of student, the development of prevention research programs to reflect this orientation, and interdisciplinary collaborations that integrate scientific methods and questions in the pursuit of comprehensive knowledge of human developmental processes.

Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in Achievement as Children Begin School

Abstract: But the inequalities facing children before they enter school are less publicized. We should expect schools to increase achievement for all students, regardless of race, income, class, and prior achievement. But it is unreasonable to expect schools to completely eliminate any large pre-existing inequalities soon after children first enter the education system, especially if those schools are under-funded and over-challenged.

The Evolution of Discipline Practices: School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports

Abstract: SUMMARY In response to public requests to improve the purpose and structure of discipline systems, schools have increased their emphases on “school-wide” positive behavior support. The thesis of this paper is that the current problem behavior of students in elementary and middle schools requires a preventive, whole-school approach. The foundation for such an approach lies in the emerging technology of positive behavior support. The features of positive behavior support are defined, and their application to whole-school intervention articulated. Finally, the steps that have been used to implement school-wide positive behavior support in over 500 schools across the nation are described.

Present and Accounted for: Improving Student Attendance Through Family and Community Involvement

Abstract: Reducing student absenteeism and truancy is a goal of many schools across the country. Surprisingly little research focuses on what schools can do to increase and sustain students' daily attendance...

Children's social behaviors as predictors of academic achievement: A longitudinal analysis.

Abstract: This study was an investigation of the relationships among a diverse sample of elementary students’ social skills, problem behaviors, academic competence, and academic achievement The primary research question addressed the relationship between social behaviors and academic achievement All data were collected and examined at two timepoints within a school year, which allowed for a replication of the relationships among the variables and an investigation of the predictive relationships over time The participants in this study were 139 third- and fourth-grade students, and their teachers, from two schools in a large urban community in western Massachusetts The results of this study indicated that (a) social skills are positively predictive of concurrent levels of academic achievement and (b) problem behaviors are negatively predictive of concurrent academic achievement Only social skills, however, emerged as a significant predictor of future academic functioning The linkage between problem behaviors and future academic performance may vary as a function of ethnic or cultural membership status In schools across the United States, positive social behavior, academic competence, and high levels of achievement are objectives valued by teachers, parents, and other educational stakeholders Given these valued objectives of education, it is surprising to find that many stakeholders are concerned that interventions focusing on students’ social behavior may diminish or shortchange the development of academic outcomes This perception is most likely because of the belief that time will be taken away from academics if social behaviors are given a prominent place in instruction Researchers suggest, however, that there is a strong relationship between social behavior and academic achievement (DiPerna & Elliott, 1999; Feshbach & Feshbach, 1987; Green, Forehand, Beck, & Vosk, 1980; Gresham & Elliott, 1990; Lambert & Nicholl, 1977; Wentzel, 1991,

Family-Centered Practices Birth Through High School

Abstract: Quantitative and qualitative research evidence is reviewed and synthesized with regard to the family-centeredness of early intervention, preschool, and elementary and secondary school practices. Early intervention and school practices are not as family-centered as is generally claimed, and one finds less presumption of being family-centered at each level from early intervention to preschool to elementary school to secondary school programs. The need for better research is noted, and research that would advance our understanding of family-centered practices is suggested.

Principal Leadership for Professional Development to Build School Capacity

Abstract: Based on a multiyear, qualitative study of urban elementary schools, this article examines the extent to which and the ways in which principal leadership for professional development at four schools addressed three aspects of school organizational capacity: teachers' knowledge, skills, and dispositions; professional community; and program coherence. Findings from the study indicate that effective principals can sustain high levels of capacity by establishing trust, creating structures that promote teacher learning, and either connecting their faculties to external expertise or helping teachers generate reforms internally. Study results also suggest that during transitions in school leadership, incoming principals must be cognizant of shared norms and values among their faculties before initiating new practices in curriculum, instruction, or school organization. Finally, study findings indicate that in future studies of principal effects, it may be useful for researchers to employ professional community an...

An Analysis of Elementary Teachers' Beliefs Regarding the Teaching and Learning of Science.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the beliefs of elementary teachers regarding the teaching and learning of science and the extent to which the teachers' beliefs were consistent with the philosophy underlying science education reform. Sixteen teachers from two school districts involved in a local systemic initiative for science education reform participated in the study. Each teacher was observed teaching a lesson from the program. The observation served as the context for an interview with the teacher regarding his or her beliefs about the teaching and learning of science. One overarching belief emerged: Teachers believe that the teaching and learning of science should be student centered. Five patterns of teachers' responses support this characterization of the teachers' belief. Although varying gaps exist between the teachers' beliefs and the principles of reform, the teachers' beliefs suggest that the teachers are moving in a direction consistent with science education reform. A modified case study of three teachers represents the patterns of beliefs expressed by teachers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed86:1–22, 2001.

School demographic variables and out-of-school suspension rates: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of a large, ethnically diverse school district

Abstract: This study examined out-of-school suspensions (OSS) in a large, ethnically diverse school district using both quantitative and qualitative procedures. Pearson product moment correlations and semi-partial correlations were used to identify those school-level variables that showed the strongest relationships to the duplicated OSS rate among elementary schools (n = 97) and secondary schools (n = 45). Additionally, interviews were conducted with administrators and student support personnel from the 24 schools in the district with the highest suspension rates and 24 demographically matched schools with significantly lower suspension rates. The majority of these schools served a high percentage of children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Although the correlational analyses indicated that student demographic variables (e.g., percentage of White students, percentage of Black students, percentage of students receiving free or reduced price lunch) were strongly related to a school's suspension rate, the school comparisons showed that not all schools serving a high percentage of children placed at risk have high suspension rates. Implications of the findings for school discipline reform are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

School Satisfaction of Elementary School Children: The Role of Performance, Peer Relations, Ethnicity and Gender

Abstract: The present study examines school satisfactionamong 1,090 Dutch and ethnic minority childrenaged between ten and twelve in relation totheir school context. Data were gathered in 51classes from 26 schools. Individual andclassroom variables were examinedsimultaneously, using multilevel analysis.Controlling statistically for general lifesatisfaction and teacher likeability, theresults show that the effects of educationalperformance and peer victimization on schoolsatisfaction were mediated by perceivedscholastic competence and social self-esteem,respectively. In addition, ethnic minoritygroups were more satisfied with school than theDutch pupils, and girls were more satisfiedthan boys. Multilevel analysis showed thatschool satisfaction was dependent on theclassroom context. The academic and socialclimate in the class had positive effects onthe level of satisfaction with school. Thepercentage of Dutch pupils, the percentage ofgirls and the number of pupils had nosignificant independent effects on schoolsatisfaction.

Helping English Learners Increase Achievement Through Inquiry-Based Science Instruction

Abstract: This study summarizes the results of a four-year project in science education conducted in a rural setting with English learners in grades K–6 in the El Centro Elementary School District in southern California. Data were collected to measure student achievement in science, writing, reading, and mathematics for participating students. These data were analyzed relative to the number of years that students participated in kit- and inquiry-based science instruction that included the use of science notebooks. Results indicated that the achievement of English learners increased in relation to the number of years they participated in the project. The longer they were in the program, the higher their scores were in science, writing, reading, and mathematics.

Increasing self-esteem and school connectedness through a multidimensional mentoring program.

Abstract: High levels of self-esteem and positive school, peer, and family connections represent protective factors against youth involvement in risky behavior. This paper reports findings from year one of the Healthy Kids Mentoring Program, a multidisciplinary mentoring program for fourth-grade students in a Midwestern public school. In October 2000, 28 fourth-grade students were admitted into the program, based on findings from a 55-item survey distributed to all fourth-grade students (N = 283) regarding overall self-esteem, school, peer, and family connectedness and involvement in risky behavior. The program, which ran from January 2000 to May 2000, consisted of four components: 1) relationship building, 2) self-esteem enhancement, 3) goal setting, 4) academic assistance. Pretest-Posttest data showed significant improvements at posttest in mentored students' self-esteem levels and positive connections to school, peers, and family. Mentored students also were significantly less likely to be depressed or involved in bullying and fighting at posttest than at pretest. Compared to nonmentored students, mentored students reported significantly higher school and family connectedness scores at posttest. Recommendations for effective mentoring program design are offered.

Four good reasons to use literature in primary school ELT

Abstract: This paper presents four arguments in favor of integrating literature into English as a foreign language (EFL) classes for grade school children, particularly in cases where academic language proficiency is the ultimate goal of instruction but where English exposure and use is limited to the classroom and school. The arguments include the following: (1) authentic literature provides a motivating, meaningful context for language learning, and it presents natural language at its finest, promoting vocabulary development in context; (2) literature stimulates oral language and involves the child with the text while exposing him or her to some aspect of the target language culture; (3) literature can promote academic literacy and critical thinking skills, and has the potential of fostering private interpersonal and intercultural attitudes; and (4) good literature deals with some aspects of the human condition and attempts to come to some understanding of life, either symbolically or metaphorically, and can thus also contribute to the emotional development of the child. (Contains 23 references.) (KFT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of EtlUCatiOnal Research and improvement N EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION VD CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as C\ received from the person or organization originating it. vim' Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. 4-1 Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY .4,7MeL.31105/1 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 Four Good Reasons to Use Literature in the Primary school ELT Irma K. Ghosn Introduction The practice of teaching foreign languages, especially English, in the Primary school has been gaining global popularity. Several European countries are now introducing foreign language instruction in the upper Primary grades'. In some areas children are also expected to study at least some academic content in a foreign language'. I predict that the use of foreign language, English in particular, as an instructional language will be spreading as access to the electronic communications network is becoming available to ever widening circles of learners. The question is, to what extent the materials development has kept up with the changes in the goals of language instruction. Whether the aim is to provide exposure and enrichment or to prepare the child for the general curriculum delivered in the L2, the traditional structured materials may not be the most appropriate choice. In the first instance, they may not be motivating enough while in the latter case, they may prove to be too limited. On the other hand, materials developed for contexts where the target language is the community language and where learners have daily exposure to the target language and its culture may also prove problematic. They may assume certain levels of cultural awareness or availability of time and materials that are absent in the non-target language settings. Carefully selected children's literature, however, can provide a medium through which children can access the new language. Children's literature is no stranger in North American or Australian ESL classes, where literary circles and a rich variety of reading response activities foster first and second language development and promote thinking skills. I will argue in this paper that the use of children's fiction has also a number of justifications in Primary school EFL instruction. This is especially the case in contexts where academic language proficiency

Rural elementary students', parents', and teachers' perceptions of bullying.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and correlates of bullying in 7 rural elementary schools from students', parents', and teachers' perspectives. METHOD: Surveys were completed by 739 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students, 367 parents, and 37 teachers. RESULTS: Students tended to report higher prevalence of bullying than did parents or teachers, and their reports were associated with aggression, attitudes toward violence, and perceptions of school safety. CONCLUSION: Bullying behavior is prevalent in rural elementary schools and is indicative of aggression and proviolence attitudes. Parents and teachers need to pay closer attention to bullying behavior among schoolchildren and to impart their knowledge to children in a comprehensive, coordinated manner. Language: en

Maximizing Student Learning The Effects of a Comprehensive School-Based Program for Preventing Problem Behaviors

Abstract: This article offers an evaluation of a comprehensive school-wide program based on an effective behavioral support approach for preventing disruptive behaviors.The program consists of five main elements— a school-wide discipline program, one-to-one tutoring in reading, conflict resolution, a video-based family management program, and an individualized, function-based behavior intervention plan—that were developed through a consensus-building participatory process. Seven elementary schools in one district were studied for 2 years. Comparisons with the district's remaining 28 elementary schools indicated strong positive effects on the number of formal disciplinary actions and academic performance of schools. In addition, comparisons between target students (those who exhibited disruptive behaviors) and criterion students (those who did not exhibit disruptive behaviors) indicated positive effects on the social adjustment and academic performance of the target students.

Young People's Conceptions of Environment: A phenomenographic analysis

Abstract: Environmental education in schools is an important strategy in achieving environmental improvement. However, it needs to be based on children's understandings of environment rather than on assumptions of what children know and believe. This paper reports on a research project where school children's answers to a question 'I think the term/word environment means …' were analysed using the qualitative research method of phenomenography. Six distinct conceptions were isolated, ranging from the least sophisticated--environment as a place--to the most inclusive and expansive--environment and people in a relationship of mutual sustainability. An important qualitative difference was found between conceptions that treat the environment as an object and relational conceptions. The implications of these findings for environmental education are discussed.

Moving up the Grades: Relationship between Preschool Model and Later School Success.

Abstract: A follow-up study of children who began school at age 4 (referred to as Year 1 in this study) was conducted to examine the influence of three different preschool models on later school success. These children from an urban school district were studied again in Year 5 as they prepared to leave the primary grades and in Year 6 when they were scheduled to enter fourth grade if not previously retained. The study examined report card grades, retention rates, and special education placement of 160 children at the end of their fifth year in school and 183 children at the end of their sixth year in school. The sample was 96% African American and 54% female, with 75% of the children qualifying for subsidized school lunch and 73% living in single-parent families. Academically, girls surpassed boys at the end of Year 5, and this difference persisted into the next grade level. Children whose preschool experience was more academically directed had been retained less often than peers. No differences attributable to preschool model were found for special education placement. By the end of children's fifth year in school, there were no significant differences in academic performance of children who had experienced three different preschool models. By the end of their sixth year in school, children whose preschool experiences had been academically directed earned significantly lower grades compared to children who had attended child-initiated preschool classes. Children's later school success appears to have been enhanced by more active, child-initiated early learning experiences. Their progress may have been slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduced formalized learning experiences too early for most children's developmental status.

Public Alternative Schools and Programs for Students at Risk of Education Failure: 2000-01. Statistical Analysis Report.

Abstract: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comments or suggestions about this or any other NCES product or report, we would like to hear from you. Please direct your comments to: Background Concern among the public, educators, and policymakers about violence, weapons, and drugs on elementary and secondary school campuses, balanced with concern about sending disruptive and potentially dangerous students " out on the streets, " has spawned an increased interest in alternative schools and programs (U.S. Department of Education 1996). Many students who, for one reason or another, are not succeeding in regular public schools are being sent to alternative placements. In general, students are referred to alternative schools and programs if they are at risk of education failure, as indicated by poor grades, truancy, disruptive behavior, suspension, pregnancy, or similar factors associated with early withdrawal from school (Paglin and Fager 1997). The 2001 " District Survey of Alternative Schools and Programs, " conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) through its Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), is the first national study of public alternative schools and programs for students at risk of education failure to provide data on topics related to the availability of public alternative schools and programs, enrollment, staffing, and services for these students. The results presented in this report are based on questionnaire data from a nationally representative sample of 1,534 public school districts. Although there is no single commonly accepted definition of what constitutes alternative schools and programs (Lange and Sletten 2002), this survey included only public alternative schools and programs that were geared towards students at risk of education failure, that were administered by regular districts 1 , …

The ‘feminisation of schooling’ or ‘re-masculinising’ primary education?

Abstract: The move in the United Kingdom to recruit more men into primary teaching is to tackle boys under-achievement. One explanation that has been offered as to why boys' are under-achieving is the 'feminisation of primary schooling'. This article begins by exploring the findings of a national survey of student primary teachers towards gender roles and schooling. The views of the students indicated accordance with the idea that primary schools are feminised and feminising environments. The discussion here critiques these notions and argues that current educational policy is not moving forward in a direction that will actively challenge conventional stereotyping. Rather, the move is towards one where notions of masculinity and femininity will be reinforced through a 're-masculinisation' of primary schooling.[1] The research drawn upon in this article was undertaken collaboratively with Bruce Carrington and Ian Hall (University of Newcastle), and Becky Francis (University of North London). I would like to record m...

Children's Citizenship and the Structuring of Adult-Child Relations in the Primary School.

Abstract: This article analyses the experience of school in terms of children's citizenship, exploring the level of participation experienced by a sample of Irish primary school children over decisions related to the control of their time, space and interaction in school. Locating such experience within the context of the structuration of adult-child relations, education for and into citizenship, it is argued, must take account of the dynamics of power and control between adults and children, teachers and pupils and the impact on children's construction of themselves as citizens with a voice to be both heard and expressed in school.

Professors and the Practicum: Involvement of University Faculty in Preservice Practicum Supervision

Abstract: Preservice practicum supervision is often carried out by special supervisory staff rather than by tenured or tenure-track education faculty. Some researchers feel this creates an unfortunate separation between the campus program and the practicum and results in lost opportunities to strengthen the school-university partnership. Five years ago, in an elementary preservice cohort program, the authors adopted a policy of heavy involvement in practicum supervision by all members of their faculty team; the authors also devised ways of supporting the faculty in their supervision. Over the past 4 years, the authors studied the effects of applying this model; it was found to strengthen the school-university partnership, enhance both the practicum and the campus program, and help faculty grow in knowledge and understanding of schooling. However, the approach was time-consuming and presented some other challenges for faculty. If it is to be adopted widely in preservice education, stronger institutional support is n...