Protecting Teachers or Protecting Children? Media Representations of Vergara v. California

Over the past five years, the laws governing teachers’ employment have been at the center of legal and political conflicts in state courts and elections across the United States.  Vergara v. California challenged five California state statutes that provide employment protections for teachers.  Drawing on the theory of political spectacle, we conducted a media content analysis of 42 print news media articles published prior to the court’s decision in June 2014.  Two aspects of political spectacle, the use of metaphor and the illusion of rationality were the most salient and deployed in ways that were more closely aligned with the student plaintiffs’ claims than the statutes’ defenders.  We conclude by highlighting how the framing of these and other similar stories may shape subsequent debates about public education in the United States.En la última década las leyes que rigen el empleo de docentes han estado en el centro de los conflictos jurídicos y políticos en los tribunales estatales y las elecciones en los Estados Unidos. El caso Vergara v. California desafió cinco leyes del estado de California que proporcionan protección laboral a los docentes. Basándonos en la teoría del espectáculo político, analizamos el contenido de 42 artículos publicadas en la prensa antes de la decisión de la corte en junio de 2014. Dos aspectos de la teoría de espectáculo político, el uso de metáforas y la ilusión de la racionalidad fueron los más destacados y usados de manera estrechamente alineadas con las demandas sobre los estatutos de los estudiantes en detrimento de las demandas de la defensa. Concluimos, poniendo de relieve la forma en que este tipo de encuadramiento sobre esta y otras historias similares puede afectar futuros debates sobre la educación pública en los Estados Unidos

“Universidade da Democracia: A universidade comunitária americana no Século XXI”: Delimitação da discussão.

In this manuscript, the guest editors of the EPAA Special Issue on “Democracy’s College: The American Community College in the 21st Century”: a) introduce the background, history, and context of community colleges in the larger higher education landscape; b) summarize the three research papers and two video commentaries that were peer-reviewed and selected for inclusion in this special issue; and, c) discuss the individual contributions and major themes across the selected papers. Their importance is discussed in terms of each paper’s insights for the general research on this topic and each paper’s potential to inform community college research, practice, and policy.En este trabajo, las editoras de este número especial de EPAA en la "Universidad de la Democracia: La universidad  comunitaria en el siglo XXI: a) presenta los antecedentes, la historia, el contexto de la universidad  comunitaria (en inglés Community Colleges) en el escenario más amplio de la educación superior b) presenta un resumen de los tres artículos de investigación y de los dos videos con comentarios que han sido evaluados por pares y seleccionados para formar parte de este número especial, y c) analiza las contribuciones individuales y los principales temas transversales a los trabajos seleccionados. Se discute la relevancia de cada trabajo en términos de las ideas que cada uno aporta a la labor de investigación general sobre este tema y el potencial de cada trabajo para informar a la investigación, la práctica y la política en las universidades  comunitarias.Neste texto, os editores convidados do Número Especial da AAPE sobre “Universidade da Democracia: A universidade comunitária americana no Século XXI”: a) introduz o plano de fundo, história, e contexto das universidades comunitárias (em inglês Community Colleges) no cenário mais amplo da educação superior; b) resume os três trabalhos de investigação e os dois comentários a vídeos que foram revistos por pares e selecionados para integrar este número especial; e, c) discute as contribuições individuais e os principais temas transversais aos trabalhos selecionados. A sua importância é discutida em termos das ideias que cada um dos trabalhos traz para a pesquisa geral sobre este tema e o potencial de cada trabalho para informar a investigação, as práticas e as políticas sobre faculdades comunitárias

NEPC Review: Why Indiana Parents Choose: A Cross-Sector Survey of Parents' Views in a Robust School Choice Environment (EdChoice, September 2017)

In this report, a school choice advocacy group presents results from its survey of K-12 parents within and across the public and private sectors. They report that parents are highly satisfied with voucher and tax credit scholarship programs and suggest that the findings support the expansion of school choice programs. However, these and other findings are consistent with research showing general parental satisfaction with their children&rsquo;s schools. One underemphasized finding is that substantial proportions of public school families&mdash;the largest constituency of K-12 parents in Indiana&mdash;did not participate in private school choice programs because they are happy with their current schools and want to support public schools. The survey and analysis fall short in four ways. First, three incompatible data collection methods were used to collect small samples of non-representative groups of Indiana parents. Second, the statistical analyses are too weak to draw clear conclusions. Third, while organized like a conventional research study, the report appears to be designed to advance an agenda rather than provide substantive answers to important policy questions. Finally, the report provides little new information about parents&rsquo; experiences with their children&rsquo;s schools. Thus, the report does not add to our knowledge about school choice in Indiana or provide much useful information about public support for school choice programs.</p

Consumer-Oriented School Rating Systems and Their Implications for Educational Equity

School ratings are a ubiquitous feature of the U.S. educational system. Alongside state-mandated measures of school performance, non-state organizations such as GreatSchools.org and Niche have created consumer-oriented systems of school ratings that draw on publicly available information about schools. Claiming the purpose of their rating systems is to help families navigate increasingly complex school choice options, these organizations present their ratings as authoritative sources of information. In the growing evidence base about consumer-oriented systems, there is consistent research showing that the measures that comprise school ratings are associated with schools&rsquo; demographic characteristics, such as students&rsquo; race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. This brief examines these consumer-oriented rating systems and their implications for educational equity, and provides recommendations to minimize potential harms.</p

NEPC Review: No Excuses Charter Schools: A Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence

The working paper reviewed here seeks to assess the extent to which “No Excuses” charter schools raise student achievement in English language arts and math and thereby close the achievement gap. The paper defines such schools as having: a) high academic standards, b) strict disciplinary codes, c) extended instructional time, and d) targeted supports for low-performing students. From their meta-analysis of 10 quasi-experimental studies , the authors concluded students who attended No Excuses charter schools had average achievement gains of 0.16 standard deviations in English language arts and 0.25 in mathematics. While conceding that charter schools with lotteries and No Excuses charter schools are not representative of all charter schools, the authors did not address whether or how students who apply to lottery charter schools might not be representative of all charter school students. They also did not address the possible relevance of student attrition for the individual studies’ findings and their own analysis. As a result, the claim that No Excuses schools can close the achievement gap substantially overstates their findings. Moreover, the report’s relatively small sample of schools concentrated in Northeast Coast cities suggests the current research base is too limited to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of No Excuses charter schools

Interdistrict and Charter School Mobility in Arizona: Understanding the Dynamics of Public School Choice

We investigate the mobility patterns of elementary students enrolled in Arizona’s traditional public school districts and charter schools. We address interdistrict and charter school mobility simultaneously. Most student movement is interdistrict or between school districts. In Arizona, interdistrict mobility has played a greater role in creating and sustaining the “educational market” than charter schools. There is also a substantial amount of student movement from charter schools to school districts. Regression analyses suggested that the relationship between demographic and achievement variables and the different types of student mobility differed across the two sectors. We also document regional differences in mobility patterns, which indicate that education markets vary considerably across and even within local contexts

NEPC Review: From Surviving to Thriving: K-12 Choice and Opportunity for Rural Texas Students and Teachers (The Heritage Foundation, August 2023)

A Heritage Foundation report claims increased competition has improved academic achievement in Arizona&rsquo;s rural public schools and that similar policies will be good for rural Texas. However, this report overstates the similarities between Arizona and Texas, ignores relevant research literature, and presents simplistic and inaccurate analyses to support its claims. By addressing a narrow set of possible benefits of school choice, it also overlooks issues related to fiscal impacts for district schools, segregation, and exclusionary practices for students who require specialized services in schools. The report is an exercise in advocacy for expanding school choice policies, and its usefulness as a guide for policy and practice is minimal.</p

The advanced placement opportunity gap in Arizona: access, participation, and success

Participation in Advanced Placement (AP) classes and AP test-taking are widely viewed as indicators of students&rsquo; college readiness. We analyzed enrollment in AP courses and AP test outcomes in Arizona to document disparities in students&rsquo; access to rigorous curricula in high school and outline some implications of these patterns for education stakeholders. Findings suggest that although 80% of high schools in Arizona offered at least one AP course, the total number of AP courses offered varied considerably across schools. Small schools and schools that served higher percentages of minority students were less likely to offer a wide range of AP courses than large schools and schools with majority White student populations. Although Hispanic students were underrepresented in AP courses, they had the highest test-taking rate. Only a third of the Hispanic students who took AP courses passed the AP test

Increased Muscle Stress-Sensitivity Induced by Selenoprotein N Inactivation in Mouse: A Mammalian Model for SEPN1-Related Myopathy

Selenium is an essential trace element and selenoprotein N (SelN) was the first selenium-containing protein shown to be directly involved in human inherited diseases. Mutations in the SEPN1 gene, encoding SelN, cause a group of muscular disorders characterized by predominant affection of axial muscles. SelN has been shown to participate in calcium and redox homeostasis, but its pathophysiological role in skeletal muscle remains largely unknown. To address SelN function in vivo, we generated a Sepn1-null mouse model by gene targeting. The Sepn1−/− mice had normal growth and lifespan, and were macroscopically indistinguishable from wild-type littermates. Only minor defects were observed in muscle morphology and contractile properties in SelN-deficient mice in basal conditions. However, when subjected to challenging physical exercise and stress conditions (forced swimming test), Sepn1−/− mice developed an obvious phenotype, characterized by limited motility and body rigidity during the swimming session, as well as a progressive curvature of the spine and predominant alteration of paravertebral muscles. This induced phenotype recapitulates the distribution of muscle involvement in patients with SEPN1-Related Myopathy, hence positioning this new animal model as a valuable tool to dissect the role of SelN in muscle function and to characterize the pathophysiological process

Spatio-Temporal Differentiation and Sociality in Spiders

Species that differ in their social system, and thus in traits such as group size and dispersal timing, may differ in their use of resources along spatial, temporal, or dietary dimensions. The role of sociality in creating differences in habitat use is best explored by studying closely related species or socially polymorphic species that differ in their social system, but share a common environment. Here we investigate whether five sympatric Anelosimus spider species that range from nearly solitary to highly social differ in their use of space and in their phenology as a function of their social system. By studying these species in Serra do Japi, Brazil, we find that the more social species, which form larger, longer–lived colonies, tend to live inside the forest, where sturdier, longer lasting vegetation is likely to offer better support for their nests. The less social species, which form single-family groups, in contrast, tend to occur on the forest edge where the vegetation is less robust. Within these two microhabitats, species with longer-lived colonies tend to occupy the potentially more stable positions closer to the core of the plants, while those with smaller and shorter-lived colonies build their nests towards the branch tips. The species further separate in their use of common habitat due to differences in the timing of their reproductive season. These patterns of habitat use suggest that the degree of sociality can enable otherwise similar species to differ from one another in ways that may facilitate their co-occurrence in a shared environment, a possibility that deserves further consideration