The Effect of Cross-age Tutoring on Reading Attitude

One of the greatest challenges facing teachers of reading today is the negative attitude of students toward reading. One suggested means of positively influencing the reading attitude of students is cross-age tutoring. However, a study is needed to establish whether a clear link exists between cross-age tutoring and positive changes in reading attitude. Experimental research was conducted during the course of an academic quarter (nine weeks) to determine whether cross-age tutoring has a positive impact on reading attitude. The subjects of the study were first grade students (n=12). The first graders were identified for the study based on low scores on the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey. The first graders were placed in matched pairs based on their Elementary Reading Attitude Survey raw scores. Matched pairs were then randomly split into a control group (n=6) and an experimental group (n=6). The tutors were second grade students (n=6) identified through teacher interviews as being enthusiastic and skilled readers. During four 30-minute training sessions, the second grade tutors were trained to implement a two part instructional plan during each tutoring session. The instructional plan included sight word practice, word games, paired reading time with retelling, and testing in the Accelerated Reader computer program. Throughout the nine weeks of the study, the second grade tutors conducted two 30 minute sessions each week with students in the experimental group. During the tutoring sessions, first grade students in the control group engaged in typical independent reading activities such as sustained silent reading. All first grade subjects were retested with the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey following the last tutoring session. A Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test was used to analyze the posttest data. In addition, qualitative data were obtained through observational rating scales of reading behaviors completed by a certified teacher acting as a teaching assistant in the classroom. Results indicate that students in the experimental group did show greater increases in reading attitude than those in the control group. However, the Wilcoxon test indicated that these differences were not statistically significant

The Effects of Online Professional Development on Teacher Behavior and Perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Teaching Efficacy

Background: Research shows that STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) curriculum improves student abilities to create relevant products and services. However, teacher support is critical when implementing a new, school-wide curriculum model and learning tools as teachers need easy access to online resources. Yet, online resources currently used in many schools do not inform the processes or the ideology of STEAM curricula through collaboration among all teachers in a private school setting. Purpose: The focus of this quasi-experimental quantitative research study was to examine the impact of a 1-week online STEAM professional development course on teacher behavior and their perceptions of their self-efficacy regarding integrating STEAM concepts in their classroom instruction, lesson plans, and extracurricular activities. The setting was a private school (preschool through Grade 8) with a focus on science and math education in a large Midwestern city. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was selected for this study because of the necessity for data that determine the relationship between the independent variable, which was the STEAM online course developed for the present study, and the dependent variable, which was the teachers\u27 self-reported behavior and perceptions of their STEAM teaching self-efficacy before and after taking the online course. It was also necessary to generate data regarding the relationship between teachers participating in a 1-week online STEAM professional development course and their behavior and perceptions of their self-efficacy regarding STEAM teaching. The participants included elementary and preschool art, math, science, computer, language arts, and social studies teachers at a private school with a focus on science and math education in a large Midwestern city. Results: It was hypothesized that the initiation of a 1-week online STEAM course for teachers would be effective, and pretest/posttest results supported this hypothesis. This is because the intervention combines easy online access to STEAM curricula with the understanding of the importance of the STEAM education model and concepts to all teachers in the private school setting. Conclusion: Study results showed that online professional development participants had an overall positive perception of the effects of the course on their beliefs and perceptions regarding their STEAM curricula teaching self-efficacy. Differences in the pretest and posttest survey results showed that the STEAM online professional development impacted teachers\u27 STEAM teaching self-efficacy

Opportunity to Learn Audit: Elementary School Science

Despite widespread media and public attention to the need for U.S. students to be globally competitive in science-related fields, remarkably little emphasis is placed on improving elementary science in U.S. public schools. Yet, it is effective elementary science programs that provide the foundation for a sound K-12 education in science. In a new report, Opportunity to Learn: Elementary Science, the Rennie Center analyzes whether students in high- and low-performing schools receive equitable opportunities to learn in science and, importantly, profiles the promising practices of schools that are beating the odds and succeeding at educating students to high levels in science. This report is the first in a two-part study that the Rennie Center is producing on Massachusetts students' opportunity to learn science. The second report, to be released in late Fall 2008, is being developed in partnership with the Education Development Center and will highlight opportunities to learn science at the high school level (9-12). The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and state accountability systems have created external incentives to improve student achievement in science in addition to English language arts (ELA) and math. In 2010, Massachusetts will require all 10th graders to pass one of the science MCAS tests (in biology, physics, chemistry or technology/engineering) in order to receive a diploma. Yet, to date, schools have increasingly placed their emphasis on math and ELA, to the detriment of science. There also exists a substantial racial/ethnic achievement gap in the sciences, just as there is in math and ELA. English language learners, those who are African American or Hispanic, and students from low-income homes are all falling well below the standards for proficiency set by the state. Given that the state holds all students accountable for their performance in science, it is necessary to examine whether all students are receiving equitable opportunities to learn and succeed at science. This report seeks to identify concretely what top-performing schools do to support science instruction and to draw out considerations for policymakers at the district and state levels.Themes across the SchoolsThe following is a description of greater opportunities to learn science that are present in top-performing schools, compared to low-performing schools:More time on science.Teachers who specialize in science.Regularly scheduled support from district science coordinators.Science materials housed at the schools (rather than at the district).Professional development in scienceSchool budgets for science.High levels of parent involvement in and advocacy for science.Accessibility to natural resources.School leadership focused on science.RecommendationsFor school and district leaders:Make science a high priority in schools and across the district. Promote the integration of science with math and literacy. Set and monitor guidelines for time on science. Develop and monitor adherence to science curriculum that is mapped to state frameworks. Support, document, and -- if necessary -- mandate science-related professional development for elementary school teachers. Identify teachers with high levels of interest in science. Solicit engagement of local business and community leaders in science. For state policymakers:Providing more resources and ensuring that all elementary students in Massachusetts have opportunities to learn science and to achieve at high levels will require coordinated efforts by both state legislators and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.The following are recommendations for consideration by both state legislators and the Department. Support expanded school day initiatives and encourage more time for subjects like science, especially for low-income and minority students. Provide mentoring and support for elementary teachers to become school-based science resource specialists. Provide broad, fundamental professional development that is aligned with state frameworks in science for elementary teachers, giving preference to low-performing schools that agree to send a critical number of teachers. Provide technical assistance and training on integrating science, literacy and mathematics instruction. Support enrichment opportunities for low-performing schools that lack active parent and community engagement in science. Provide a supplementary materials budget to under-resourced schools

Graduate Catalog, 1985-1986

https://scholar.valpo.edu/gradcatalogs/1013/thumbnail.jp

Graduate Catalog, 1986-1987

https://scholar.valpo.edu/gradcatalogs/1014/thumbnail.jp

Inside Online Charter Schools

Online charter schools -- also known as virtual charters or cyber charters -- are publicly funded schools of choice that deliver student instruction via telecommunications. Today, about 200 online charter schools are operating in the United States, serving about 200,000 students at the elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. Although online instruction is increasing rapidly, there have been few studies of their operations and effects. In innovative new research funded by the Walton Family Foundation, the National Study of Online Charter Schools offers a rigorous analysis of online charter schools and their effects. Mathematica Policy Research's report provides the first nationwide data and analysis of the operations and instructional approaches of online charter schools, based on data collected in a survey completed by 127 principals of online charter schools across the country and public data from the U.S. Department of Education

After the In-Service Course: Challenges of Technology Integration

This case study chronicles one teacher\u27s experience in the semester after an in-service course, Using Technology for Instruction and Assessment. Results suggest that success in the course and good intentions do not necessarily translate into dramatic change in methods or media of instruction. Student mobility and special needs, unexpected administrative mandates, the anxiety of being judged as competent based on standardized test results, poorly designed classrooms, insufficient time to master new software, and habitual ways of conceptualizing what and how students should learnall complicate efforts to help students use computers to construct meaning and represent their learning to others. Certainly, a professional development course is just one variable in a complex equation which has, as its solution, transformative teaching

Curriculum evaluation of elemantary school fourth grade's computer and information technologies course

Bu arastırmanın temel amacı 2006-2007 egitim-ögretim yılında ilkögretim 4. sınıf seçmeli bilgisayar dersi ögretim programını ögrenci, bilgisayar ögretmeni, sınıf ögretmeni ve yönetici görüslerine göre degerlendirmektir. Arastırmada nicel yöntemlerden anket, nitel yöntemlerden görüsme kullanılmıstır. Nicel örneklem için Aydın ili merkezinde 6 okul belirlenmistir. Nitel veriler için, amaçlı örnekleme yolu ile her okuldan 6 ögrenci seçilmistir. Bu okullardaki bilgisayar ögretmenleri, sınıf ögretmenleri ve okul yöneticileri ile görüsmeler yapılmıstır. Nicel verilerin analizi için frekans, yüzde dagılımı ve verilerin cinsiyete ve ögrencilerin devam ettikleri okulun sosyo-ekonomik düzeyine göre anlamlı olarak farklılasıp farklılasmadıgını hesaplamak üzere ki-kare testi yapılmıstır. Nitel veriler için görüsmeler, ses kayıt cihazı ile kaydedilmis, bilgisayar ortamına aktarılmıs, satır satır okuma teknigi ile içerik analizi yapılmıstır. Sonuçlara genel olarak bakıldıgında, bilgisayar ögretmeni görüslerine göre, bilgisayar dersi hedefleri ögrenci düzeyine uygun degildir. Bilgisayar derslerinde oynatılacak oyunların nitelikleri belirlenmeli, bu ünite ile ilgili egitsel oyunlar gelistirilmelidir. Programda, internetin arastırma amacıyla kullanımı ile ilgili konulara daha genis yer verilmelidir. Görüsme sonuçlarına göre, içerik farklı sosyo-ekonomik düzeydeki okullarda farklı islenmektedir. Bilgisayar dersi ile ilgili uygulamalara bakıldıgında, bilgisayar dersinin düzenli olarak islenmesi için özen gösterilmemesi, ögrencilere örtük olarak bilgisayar dersinin önemli bir ders olmadıgı mesajını vermektedir. Ögrenme-ögretme süreçleri ile ilgili olarak, okulların bilgisayar laboratuvarlarının fiziksel alanı ve alt yapısı önemli etkenlerdir. Özellikle alt-sosyo ekonomik düzeydeki okullara bilgisayar laboratuvarlarının güncellenmesi için bakanlık ya da yerel yönetimler aracılıgı ile destek verilmesi gerektigi söylenebilir. Bilgisayar ders kitapları ile ilgili ögretmenler arasında bir görüs birligi bulunmamaktadır. Arastırma bulgularına bakıldıgında, bazı okullarda bilgisayar laboratuvarını kullanmamanın bir ceza aracı olarak kullanıldıgı görülmektedir. Degerlendirme boyutu ile ilgili olarak, ögrencilerin ve bilgisayar ögretmenlerinin bilgisayar dersinin karnede ii notunun olması yönünde bir beklentisi vardır. Bilgisayar ögretmenlerinin, bilgisayar basında uygulamalı sınav yapabilmeleri için gerekli düzenlemeler yapılmalıdır. The main purpose of this research is to evaluate elementary school fourth grade Computer and Information Technology Course according to students?, computer teacher?s, classroom teacher?s and school administrator?s vision. In the research, survey is used for quantitative data while interview is used for qualitative data. 6 schools are selected for quantitative sample and 6 students are selected by sampling objectively for qualitative data. For quantitative data?s analysis frequency and percentage are calculated and chi-square test is done in order to calculate whether data?s undergo a significant change according to gender and schools? socioeconomic degrees the student keep on. As for the qualitative data, after taking a permit, interviews are recorded by tape recorder, the interviews are transferred to the computer, and content analysis is done by line by line technique. Looking at the overall results it is seen that according to computer teachers? opinion, the goals of the computer and information Technologies course are not adequate and it needs to be improved. The qualities of the games which would be used in the computer and information technologies course is to be determined, for this unit educational computer games should be developed. In the program, more attention should be given to such subjects as the use of internet for the purpose of research. According to interviews, content differs in the different socio-economic class? schools. Considering closely to the applications in the course, inadequate attention is given to the course, and this application signals a hidden message that computer and information technology is not an important course. As for the learning and teaching process, schools? computer laboratory?s physical space and substructure are important factors. It may be suggested that by the help of the Education Ministry and municipal administration, support be given so that the laboratories especially in low socioeconomic class school will be improved. There is no agreement between computer ii teachers about course text books. According to the research results, the fact that students are forbidden to use the computer labs is seen as a punishment subject. in some schools. As for the assessment dimension, students and computer teachers have expectations that computer and technology course be a grade in the carnets. Necessary changes should be done so that computer teachers make the computer and technology course exam by performance rating