Grade Retention: A History of Failure

Although almost 50 years of research has shown that grade-level retention affords no academic advantages to students, this practice is gaining increasing attention as schools face political pressure to be accountable for student achievement. The negative effect that retention has on children is ignored in favor of an overly simplistic view of it as a panacea for education woes. In an attempt to better meet student needs, educators historically have seen retention as a way to reduce skill variance in the classroom. However, this practice has not achieved its objective. An at-risk population is cognitively and affectively harmed by retention. Educators need to stop punishing nonlearners and instead provide opportunities for success if they are to treat their students professionally. Alternatives that should be considered include offering intensive remediation before and after school, requiring summer school, increasing teacher expectations, and changing teacher and administrative perceptions

Book Review: Excellence vs. Equality: Can Society Achieve Both Goals?

Exhausted from the 2015-2016 election season, one may want to escape its overheated rhetoric and nasty partisanship. But the societal conditions that led Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to assert loudly, “The system is rigged!” hangs in the air. Ordinary folks feel left behind and wronged. They believe that they are working harder than ever and getting nowhere, perhaps even falling backwards, experiencing few chances for mobility or success. From millennials to retired Boomers, countless American voters are frustrated and angry. Their concerns are real, and we ignore their issues at our peril. In his new book, Excellence vs. Equality, Allan C. Ornstein, professor of education at St. Johns University, asks how we as a nation address the question: “Can our society achieve both excellence and equality?” Using reinforcing references and data points, Ornstein deconstructs the issues of opportunity, excellence, equality, meritocracy, and inherited wealth and describes their impact on economic mobility and achieving the American dream. How we answer his question will shape our society and “the kind of people we are—or think we are” (see Ornstein, 2014)

The Long-Term Impact of Educational and Health Spending on Unemployment Rates

This study used panel data regression analysis to evaluate the long-term effects of several measures of U.S. education expenditure on unemployment rates in 50 states and Washington D.C. over 25 years. The data included state-level statistics for fiscal effort, graduation rates, education spending per pupil, gross state product per capita, welfare spending, health spending, political party affiliation, union versus nonunion states, and unemployment rates. Results find that the best way to effectively reduce unemployment is investment in improving the quality of human capital through funding education. Findings specifically conclude that over the long term, investment in human capital through education as defined by per-pupil spending and health services could play a significant role in reducing unemployment rates

Lesson Plan Designs

[First paragraph] The principal must observe teachers to improve and evaluate effectiveness. Since instructional planning is one of the keys to good instruction, one component of improving teacher effectiveness is the lesson plan. This article provides two formats for lesson planning: a narrative approach and a skeleton approach. Although the ideas in this article may be used whenever written plans are required, not all written plans require elaborate detail

Education as an Investment in Turkey\u27s Human Capital: A Work in Progress

As a nation, Turkey sees education as an essential component in building its economy to world class levels. Yet school equity and teacher quality issues are preventing Turkey from fully developing its human capital. Authors discuss the concept of education as an investment in human capital, Turkey’s human capital challenges, equity practices which undermine the widespread development of Turkey’s human capital, how improving teacher quality could help remedy the situation, and recommendations to strengthen Turkey’s education as an investment in human capital

Student Scheduling

[First Paragraph] Developing the master schedule and subsequent student schedules is one of the most important administrative tasks of the principal. Ensuring that appropriate courses are offered and that teachers are teaching courses they want to teach can go a long way toward creating a positive climate and an atmosphere where learning occurs. There are three ways in which student schedules can be developed: Computer, arena, and manual. Each approach has its own strengths and weaknesses. Principals must decide which approach is best for the school based on philosophy and available resources

The Long-Term Impact of Educational and Health Spending on Unemployment Rates

This study used panel data regression analysis to evaluate the long-term effects of several measures of U.S. education expenditure on unemployment rates in 50 states and Washington D.C. over 25 years. The data included state-level statistics for fiscal effort, graduation rates, education spending per pupil, gross state product per capita, welfare spending, health spending, political party affiliation, union versus nonunion states, and unemployment rates. Results find that the best way to effectively reduce unemployment is investment in improving the quality of human capital through funding education. Findings specifically conclude that over the long term, investment in human capital through education as defined by per-pupil spending and health services could play a significant role in reducing unemployment rates

Supervisor Perceptions of the Quality of \u3ci\u3eTroops to Teachers\u3c/i\u3e Program Completers and Program Completer Perceptions of Their Preparation to Teach: A National Survey

[First Paragraph] During winter/spring, 2005, 2,103 Troops to Teachers (T3) program completers and their school administrators from 49 states and the District of Columbia were surveyed to determine whether T3s were more effective in the classroom than traditionally prepared teachers who had comparable years of teaching experience. Respondents also returned information about their schools’ demographics, views about their teacher certification preparation program, and information about themselves, their teaching behaviors, and future plans. Sixty-one percent of the respondents returned completed surveys

Leadership Styles

[First paragraph] Effective schools literature shows clearly that the leadership of the principal is key to the effectiveness of the school (Hoy and Miskell, 1982, and Arnn and Mangieri, 1988). To be effective, principals must use leadership styles appropriate to the situation

Components of Effective Leadership

[First paragraph] The effective schools literature demonstrates that the principal\u27s leadership is key to the revitalization of schools. The purpose of this article is to feature those components of leadership on which principals need to place attention and to provide suggested activities to enhance these components