Pub Date : 2020-03-01DOI: 10.1177/1365480219836529
B. Garnett, Mika Moore, J. Kidde, T. Ballysingh, Colby T. Kervick, Lisa Bedinger, Lance C. Smith, H. Sparks
Persistent disparities in exclusionary discipline procedures continue to portent negative educational outcomes for students from specific racial, income, and ability categories. Restorative practices (RP) has emerged as a promising approach to mitigate these disparities and improve school climate. This study describes the utility of field-initiated implementation readiness assessments that might guide school districts by targeting the needs of faculty and staff. This study is a part of a mixed-methods Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project made possible by a university and school-district partnership. The results reveal potential challenges and opportunities related to RP implementation and hold implications for professional development trainings for school districts that aim to implement RP as a foundation to employ more just and effective disciplinary mechanisms.
{"title":"Needs and readiness assessments for implementing school-wide restorative practices","authors":"B. Garnett, Mika Moore, J. Kidde, T. Ballysingh, Colby T. Kervick, Lisa Bedinger, Lance C. Smith, H. Sparks","doi":"10.1177/1365480219836529","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480219836529","url":null,"abstract":"Persistent disparities in exclusionary discipline procedures continue to portent negative educational outcomes for students from specific racial, income, and ability categories. Restorative practices (RP) has emerged as a promising approach to mitigate these disparities and improve school climate. This study describes the utility of field-initiated implementation readiness assessments that might guide school districts by targeting the needs of faculty and staff. This study is a part of a mixed-methods Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project made possible by a university and school-district partnership. The results reveal potential challenges and opportunities related to RP implementation and hold implications for professional development trainings for school districts that aim to implement RP as a foundation to employ more just and effective disciplinary mechanisms.","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"23 1","pages":"21 - 32"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480219836529","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49071827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-03-01DOI: 10.1177/1365480219884474
Heidi Huilla
This study analyses how studies on disadvantaged schools, improvement and test-based accountability relate to each other. The analysis covers 69 studies on disadvantaged schools reported in prestigious educational journals and conducted in 1995–2015. Educational policies related to evaluation and accountability define the official goals of schooling, and the aim in this article is to analyse how the chosen studies discuss these educational policies and understand school success and failure. The following questions were asked: What typologies related to test-based accountability can be constructed in research on disadvantaged schools? What understandings of good schools are embedded in the identified typologies? Disadvantaged schools are at the centre of improvement and therefore also the target of evaluative policy practices. The results show that research supports test-based accountability practices, and that critical studies on school improvement are in the minority.
{"title":"A circle of research on disadvantaged schools, improvement and test-based accountability","authors":"Heidi Huilla","doi":"10.1177/1365480219884474","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480219884474","url":null,"abstract":"This study analyses how studies on disadvantaged schools, improvement and test-based accountability relate to each other. The analysis covers 69 studies on disadvantaged schools reported in prestigious educational journals and conducted in 1995–2015. Educational policies related to evaluation and accountability define the official goals of schooling, and the aim in this article is to analyse how the chosen studies discuss these educational policies and understand school success and failure. The following questions were asked: What typologies related to test-based accountability can be constructed in research on disadvantaged schools? What understandings of good schools are embedded in the identified typologies? Disadvantaged schools are at the centre of improvement and therefore also the target of evaluative policy practices. The results show that research supports test-based accountability practices, and that critical studies on school improvement are in the minority.","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"23 1","pages":"68 - 84"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480219884474","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48089587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-03-01DOI: 10.1177/1365480220909636
Terry Wrigley
This is a scholarly and readable book which critically examines the powerful myths of social mobility, particularly in modern Britain. It shows how the strong policy emphasis on social mobility acts as a cover for the growing inequality of neoliberal economies, demanding a ‘cruel optimism’ as young people are expected to climb steeper and ever more slippery ladders. It is an outstanding cultural study, which includes not only an account of the shifting meanings of ‘meritocracy’ but also chapters on how plutocrat celebrities present themselves, the denial of racial disadvantage and the ‘mumpreneur’. It recalls Raymond Williams’ phrase ‘structure of feeling’ in the way it examines the messages and impact of media representations and policy discourses. Chapter 1 traces the shifting use of ‘meritocracy’. Even before Michael Young’s book The Rise of the Meritocracy, socialist researcher Alan Fox used meritocracy as a term of abuse for a society in which excessive rewards are given to ‘the gifted, the smart, the energetic, the ambitious and ruthless’. Young’s book is so clearly intended as a satire, yet very soon ‘meritocracy’ was being used positively. ‘By the 1990s UK’s New Labour had adopted a non-satirical idea of a meritocratic society with gusto’. The discussion includes Arendt, Bell and Foucault. Chapter 2 traces the shift from the compromise of ‘welfare capitalism’ to an increasingly divided neoliberal economy. In the 1960s, social mobility was possible because of an increase in professional and white-collar jobs, but later it would involve replacing those in the upper layers. It is in this context that ‘luminous media fables’ such as The Apprentice appear, showing a ruthless struggle for scarce prizes in which ‘all teamwork is a temporary means to an individualistic end’. The presenter of the UK version Alan Sugar is soon appointed official ‘Enterprise Tsar’, and ruthlessly competitive ingenuity and willpower is presented as a new kind of ‘neoliberal justice narrative’. Chapter 3 continues this historical narrative, showing how, under a Coalition and then Conservative government, an attack on living standards and welfare of poorer sections of society is accompanied by rhetoric about Britain being an ‘Aspiration Nation’. ‘We are the party of the want-to-be better-off’, said Cameron. The casualties of Austerity were then cast as responsible for their own suffering:
这是一本学术性和可读性强的书，批判性地审视了社会流动性的强大神话，特别是在现代英国。它表明，强调社会流动性的政策是如何掩盖新自由主义经济中日益严重的不平等的，在年轻人被期望攀登更陡峭、更滑的阶梯时，要求一种“残酷的乐观主义”。这是一项杰出的文化研究，其中不仅包括对“精英统治”含义变化的描述，还包括富豪名人如何展示自己、否认种族劣势和“妈妈企业家”的章节。它回顾了雷蒙德·威廉姆斯(Raymond Williams)的短语“感觉结构”(structure of feeling)，考察了媒体表述和政策话语的信息和影响。第一章追溯了“精英管理”用法的变迁。早在迈克尔·杨的《精英统治的兴起》一书出版之前，社会主义研究者艾伦·福克斯就把精英统治作为一个贬义词，指的是一个把过度奖励给“有天赋的、聪明的、精力充沛的、雄心勃勃的和冷酷无情的人”的社会。杨的书显然是一种讽刺，但很快“精英主义”就被积极地使用了。“到20世纪90年代，英国的新工党已经欣然接受了精英社会的非讽刺理念。”讨论包括阿伦特、贝尔和福柯。第二章追溯了从“福利资本主义”的妥协到日益分裂的新自由主义经济的转变。在20世纪60年代，由于专业和白领工作的增加，社会流动成为可能，但后来它涉及到取代上层的人。正是在这种背景下，《学徒》(The Apprentice)等“闪亮的媒体寓言”出现了，展现了一场争夺稀缺奖品的残酷斗争，在这场斗争中，“所有的团队合作都是实现个人主义目标的临时手段”。英国版的主持人艾伦·休格很快被任命为官方的“企业沙皇”，无情的竞争创造力和意志力被呈现为一种新的“新自由主义正义叙事”。第三章继续这一历史叙述，展示了在联合政府和保守党政府的统治下，对社会较贫困阶层的生活水平和福利的攻击是如何伴随着英国是一个“有抱负的国家”的言论的。卡梅伦说:“我们是想要过得更好的政党。”紧缩政策的受害者被认为要为他们自己的痛苦负责:
{"title":"Book review: Against Meritocracy: Culture, Power and Myths of Mobility","authors":"Terry Wrigley","doi":"10.1177/1365480220909636","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480220909636","url":null,"abstract":"This is a scholarly and readable book which critically examines the powerful myths of social mobility, particularly in modern Britain. It shows how the strong policy emphasis on social mobility acts as a cover for the growing inequality of neoliberal economies, demanding a ‘cruel optimism’ as young people are expected to climb steeper and ever more slippery ladders. It is an outstanding cultural study, which includes not only an account of the shifting meanings of ‘meritocracy’ but also chapters on how plutocrat celebrities present themselves, the denial of racial disadvantage and the ‘mumpreneur’. It recalls Raymond Williams’ phrase ‘structure of feeling’ in the way it examines the messages and impact of media representations and policy discourses. Chapter 1 traces the shifting use of ‘meritocracy’. Even before Michael Young’s book The Rise of the Meritocracy, socialist researcher Alan Fox used meritocracy as a term of abuse for a society in which excessive rewards are given to ‘the gifted, the smart, the energetic, the ambitious and ruthless’. Young’s book is so clearly intended as a satire, yet very soon ‘meritocracy’ was being used positively. ‘By the 1990s UK’s New Labour had adopted a non-satirical idea of a meritocratic society with gusto’. The discussion includes Arendt, Bell and Foucault. Chapter 2 traces the shift from the compromise of ‘welfare capitalism’ to an increasingly divided neoliberal economy. In the 1960s, social mobility was possible because of an increase in professional and white-collar jobs, but later it would involve replacing those in the upper layers. It is in this context that ‘luminous media fables’ such as The Apprentice appear, showing a ruthless struggle for scarce prizes in which ‘all teamwork is a temporary means to an individualistic end’. The presenter of the UK version Alan Sugar is soon appointed official ‘Enterprise Tsar’, and ruthlessly competitive ingenuity and willpower is presented as a new kind of ‘neoliberal justice narrative’. Chapter 3 continues this historical narrative, showing how, under a Coalition and then Conservative government, an attack on living standards and welfare of poorer sections of society is accompanied by rhetoric about Britain being an ‘Aspiration Nation’. ‘We are the party of the want-to-be better-off’, said Cameron. The casualties of Austerity were then cast as responsible for their own suffering:","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"23 1","pages":"103 - 104"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480220909636","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45279506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-03-01DOI: 10.1177/1365480219864835
Óscar Espinoza, L. González, N. Mcginn, Dante Castillo
Improvement in education has been one of the strategies of the government of Chile to reduce economic inequality. To that end, it recently established a system of Second Opportunity Centers that enroll out-of-school youth who have not completed high school. The system is modeled on so-called alternative schools operating in Europe and the United States. This study reports results on the first survey of students. Questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of 1112 students, drawn from 18 of the Ministry of Education’s 134 Centers. Most of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their program, but there were significant differences between boys and girls, and across centers. Differences are explained by program activities in which students are engaged. Male students were more likely to have dropped out of regular high school because of academic difficulties; they are more likely to be engaged in the centers’ sports activities. Girls were more likely to have left their school because of a family situation. They are more engaged in the centers’ academic activities. The findings suggest how the centers’ program could be made more effective in retaining students to graduation.
{"title":"What factors predict the engagement of dropouts in alternative secondary schools in Chile?","authors":"Óscar Espinoza, L. González, N. Mcginn, Dante Castillo","doi":"10.1177/1365480219864835","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480219864835","url":null,"abstract":"Improvement in education has been one of the strategies of the government of Chile to reduce economic inequality. To that end, it recently established a system of Second Opportunity Centers that enroll out-of-school youth who have not completed high school. The system is modeled on so-called alternative schools operating in Europe and the United States. This study reports results on the first survey of students. Questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of 1112 students, drawn from 18 of the Ministry of Education’s 134 Centers. Most of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their program, but there were significant differences between boys and girls, and across centers. Differences are explained by program activities in which students are engaged. Male students were more likely to have dropped out of regular high school because of academic difficulties; they are more likely to be engaged in the centers’ sports activities. Girls were more likely to have left their school because of a family situation. They are more engaged in the centers’ academic activities. The findings suggest how the centers’ program could be made more effective in retaining students to graduation.","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"23 1","pages":"47 - 67"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480219864835","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45865569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-03-01DOI: 10.1177/1365480219895167
Martin Brown, G. McNamara, Shivaun O’Brien, C. Skerritt, J. O’Hara, J. Faddar, Sakir Cinqir, J. Vanhoof, M. Figueiredo, Gul Kurum
Current approaches to the regulation of schools in most jurisdictions tend to combine elements of external inspection with systems of internal self-evaluation. An increasingly important aspect of the theory and practice of both, but particularly the latter, revolves around the role of other actors, primarily parents and students, in the process. Using literature review and documentary analysis as the research method, this article explores the research literature from many countries around the concerns of schools and teachers about giving a more powerful voice to parents and pupils. Then, focusing on Ireland, this article tries to clarify three things, official policy concerning stakeholder voice in school self-evaluation and decision making, the efforts by schools to implement this policy and the response to date of school leaders and teachers to this rather changed environment. Using Hart’s ladder of genuine, as opposed to token, participation, it is argued that policy mandating parental and student involvement has evolved significantly, that schools have responded positively and that there is little evidence, as yet, of teacher concern or resistance. This response is explained by the low stakes and improvement-focused education environment; the controlled, structured and simplified nature of the self-evaluation process; and the limited extent of parental and student participation in decision making.
{"title":"Parent and student voice in evaluation and planning in schools","authors":"Martin Brown, G. McNamara, Shivaun O’Brien, C. Skerritt, J. O’Hara, J. Faddar, Sakir Cinqir, J. Vanhoof, M. Figueiredo, Gul Kurum","doi":"10.1177/1365480219895167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480219895167","url":null,"abstract":"Current approaches to the regulation of schools in most jurisdictions tend to combine elements of external inspection with systems of internal self-evaluation. An increasingly important aspect of the theory and practice of both, but particularly the latter, revolves around the role of other actors, primarily parents and students, in the process. Using literature review and documentary analysis as the research method, this article explores the research literature from many countries around the concerns of schools and teachers about giving a more powerful voice to parents and pupils. Then, focusing on Ireland, this article tries to clarify three things, official policy concerning stakeholder voice in school self-evaluation and decision making, the efforts by schools to implement this policy and the response to date of school leaders and teachers to this rather changed environment. Using Hart’s ladder of genuine, as opposed to token, participation, it is argued that policy mandating parental and student involvement has evolved significantly, that schools have responded positively and that there is little evidence, as yet, of teacher concern or resistance. This response is explained by the low stakes and improvement-focused education environment; the controlled, structured and simplified nature of the self-evaluation process; and the limited extent of parental and student participation in decision making.","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"23 1","pages":"102 - 85"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480219895167","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46186547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-02-28DOI: 10.1177/1365480220906625
Iman Tohidian, Saeed Ghiasi Nodooshan
Teachers and students are the main stakeholders of educational policies in the states; hence, the higher order policies, rules, and regulations must be in alignment with their rights, values, ideologies, needs, competencies, and peculiarities of each region and district. In such a case, the classroom practice will be improved and more promising outputs will be obtained. Iranian previous language programs failed to enhance students’ communicative competence and linguistic needs to survive at the international level; hence, an educational reform occurred to change the language curricula and English textbooks. A total of 86 Iranian English language teaching (ELT) teachers were selected through snowball sampling to find their role in the recent REFORM in Iranian ELT curricula and policies. Analysis of oral interviews and online focus groups data was conducted through Strauss and Corbin’s constant comparative method and illuminated the status quo of reform and policies, the marginalization of teachers as the sole implementers in language classrooms, and suggestions for teachers’ involvement in educational policies. These findings stress that a change within higher education policy makers’ attitude toward engagement of teachers within educational policy and decision-makings improves the classroom outputs.
{"title":"Teachers’ engagement within educational policies and decisions improves classroom practice: The case of Iranian ELT school teachers","authors":"Iman Tohidian, Saeed Ghiasi Nodooshan","doi":"10.1177/1365480220906625","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480220906625","url":null,"abstract":"Teachers and students are the main stakeholders of educational policies in the states; hence, the higher order policies, rules, and regulations must be in alignment with their rights, values, ideologies, needs, competencies, and peculiarities of each region and district. In such a case, the classroom practice will be improved and more promising outputs will be obtained. Iranian previous language programs failed to enhance students’ communicative competence and linguistic needs to survive at the international level; hence, an educational reform occurred to change the language curricula and English textbooks. A total of 86 Iranian English language teaching (ELT) teachers were selected through snowball sampling to find their role in the recent REFORM in Iranian ELT curricula and policies. Analysis of oral interviews and online focus groups data was conducted through Strauss and Corbin’s constant comparative method and illuminated the status quo of reform and policies, the marginalization of teachers as the sole implementers in language classrooms, and suggestions for teachers’ involvement in educational policies. These findings stress that a change within higher education policy makers’ attitude toward engagement of teachers within educational policy and decision-makings improves the classroom outputs.","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"24 1","pages":"33 - 46"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480220906625","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46094656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-02-25DOI: 10.1177/1365480220906697
Tanja Lindacher
Co-teaching is fundamental to inclusive education. However, the way co-teaching is implemented, varies considerably, and establishing and allocating instructional responsibilities does not follow a standardized pattern. This study is based on four cases – two located at traditional secondary schools and two at newly created community schools – and includes semi-structured in-depth interviews with four regular teachers and four special education teachers. It aims at providing insight into how co-teaching partners in Germany perceive their own and their partner’s instructional responsibilities. Data are analyzed with a structuring technique of qualitative content analysis. It becomes evident that the partners in each case do not always follow identical instructional intents. Nonetheless, different types of teacher knowledge seem to complement each other effectively in co-teaching relationships. Although, of course provided primarily for pupils with special needs, special education expertise also seems to support pupils without such needs. The results indicate a need to secure and integrate co-teaching relationships structurally into a school’s development process. The article concludes with some options for development in practice.
{"title":"Perceptions of regular and special education teachers of their own and their co-teacher’s instructional responsibilities in inclusive education: A case study","authors":"Tanja Lindacher","doi":"10.1177/1365480220906697","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480220906697","url":null,"abstract":"Co-teaching is fundamental to inclusive education. However, the way co-teaching is implemented, varies considerably, and establishing and allocating instructional responsibilities does not follow a standardized pattern. This study is based on four cases – two located at traditional secondary schools and two at newly created community schools – and includes semi-structured in-depth interviews with four regular teachers and four special education teachers. It aims at providing insight into how co-teaching partners in Germany perceive their own and their partner’s instructional responsibilities. Data are analyzed with a structuring technique of qualitative content analysis. It becomes evident that the partners in each case do not always follow identical instructional intents. Nonetheless, different types of teacher knowledge seem to complement each other effectively in co-teaching relationships. Although, of course provided primarily for pupils with special needs, special education expertise also seems to support pupils without such needs. The results indicate a need to secure and integrate co-teaching relationships structurally into a school’s development process. The article concludes with some options for development in practice.","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"23 1","pages":"140 - 158"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480220906697","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45620355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-02-07DOI: 10.1177/1365480220901968
S. Wurdinger, R. Newell, En Sun Kim
Eleven project-based learning charter schools participated in this correlational study. Eight have participated for 2 years and three for 1 year. The schools are affiliated with EdVisions, a non-profit organization that helps create individualized, project-based learning schools. There were five variables in this correlational study: the hope survey, self-direction rubric, collaboration rubric, math RIT scores, and reading Rasch UnIT (RIT) scores. This study compared two variables at a time in attempts to determine relationship strengths. For example, hope and math, hope and reading, hope and self-direction, hope and collaboration, and so on. Growth occurred in all five variables over a 2-year period for eight schools, as well as a 1-year period for three schools. Although the hope and reading correlation, with an N of 340, was not significant with a correlation of .07, the researchers found that all other combinations of variables were significant with a p value < .01! It is evident that hope and life skills, such as self-direction and collaboration, positively impact academic achievement with math and reading test scores.
{"title":"Measuring life skills, hope, and academic growth at project-based learning schools","authors":"S. Wurdinger, R. Newell, En Sun Kim","doi":"10.1177/1365480220901968","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480220901968","url":null,"abstract":"Eleven project-based learning charter schools participated in this correlational study. Eight have participated for 2 years and three for 1 year. The schools are affiliated with EdVisions, a non-profit organization that helps create individualized, project-based learning schools. There were five variables in this correlational study: the hope survey, self-direction rubric, collaboration rubric, math RIT scores, and reading Rasch UnIT (RIT) scores. This study compared two variables at a time in attempts to determine relationship strengths. For example, hope and math, hope and reading, hope and self-direction, hope and collaboration, and so on. Growth occurred in all five variables over a 2-year period for eight schools, as well as a 1-year period for three schools. Although the hope and reading correlation, with an N of 340, was not significant with a correlation of .07, the researchers found that all other combinations of variables were significant with a p value < .01! It is evident that hope and life skills, such as self-direction and collaboration, positively impact academic achievement with math and reading test scores.","PeriodicalId":45995,"journal":{"name":"Improving Schools","volume":"23 1","pages":"264 - 276"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1365480220901968","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43861164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-31DOI: 10.1177/1365480219901064
Marilee Jones, S. Bubb
This article explores the use of student voice to contribute to improving schools. Through the gathering of perspectives and experiences of staff and students, it considers how the responses to requirements for both student voice and school improvement interrelate and identifies challenges to be addressed. The research was conducted in Norway because, with its long-standing engagement with children’s well-being and rights expressed through its comprehensive framework of legislation and allocation of resources, it has arguably created ideal conditions for students to be involved in improving schools. Findings revealed some recognition of the centrality of student voice in the enactment of democracy in schools: students and teachers had positive perceptions of student voice, and school leaders were willing to incorporate student voice in school improvement processes. Current uses of student voice were, however, largely restricted to the operations of the student council for a range of reasons. The absence of alternative structures, time constraints and doubts about competence were reported, leading to student voice having little impact on school improvement, even in what might be considered ‘perfect’ conditions.
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Pub Date : 2020-01-11DOI: 10.1177/1365480219898897
D. Keon
The use of ‘soft barriers’ to deter students with special educational needs (SEN) from accessing some schools has been reported in the Irish media. This article investigates the influence of ethos and culture on access to and inclusive practice in mainstream schools in Ireland. Ethos and culture are nebulous concepts yet are integral to how schools operate, how they present themselves and how they are perceived by the public. Findings from a small-scale, qualitative research study are used to illustrate this. In the study, the understandings and attitudes of principals, special education teachers and guidance counsellors in mainstream schools in relation to students with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) are investigated through the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. In line with international experiences, an argument is presented suggesting that many sections of the education system in Ireland, while seemingly having been irrevocably transformed in response to national policy on inclusion, preserve very traditional structures, organisation and attitudes due to issues of ethos and culture remaining largely unchallenged in the inclusion debate. This phenomenon appears to have greater impact at post-primary level. Cosmetic, surface-level changes impede meaningful, systemic change in terms of access and inclusive practice.
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